Cold Lake High School Years 1955-1960
Collage: The above photos provide a small representation of the five years a group of young people spent completing Junior and Senior High in Cold Lake, Alberta. The following story places a context around their world, a world that was becoming vastly different from the one in which their parents and grandparents had spent their teen years.
The Silent Generation, a name coined to define those born between 1925 – 1945. While it was applied to those of us who filed into Grade 8 at Cold Lake Junior (photos in the footer) in September 1954, we were so close to the cusp it seems to have missed the mark. Our small group preceded the Baby Boomers by a few years and in the months following graduation, we helped to add a tidy number of Little Boomers to Canada’s rapidly growing population.
The Silent Generation! Really? It seems the Time Magazine reporters who defined our group obviously never traveled to Cold Lake High in the late 50’s, nor did they do any first-hand research at those week-end ‘retreats’ at French Bay, English Bay or Marie Lake. For that matter, all they had to do was drop by one of the week-end parties at the Ruggles, Hill’s, Sanregret’s, Poirier’s or any of a dozen other homes when the parents were away. People called us many things, but ‘silent’ ‘grave’ and ‘fatalistic’ were not the adjectives that flowed past their lips.
The full story, including this Chapter, is now in book form;
This Book is available from
Kindle Direct Publishing
Book 2 -Trails North an and West: The Pioneer Way 1824-2024 is now available from Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) You can search by book title or author name. A preview of the first seventeen pages is provided (link on bottom left on the KDP order page). The preview also includes the Table of Contents.
Note: When ordering four or fewer books, they will be printed and shipped within Canada. An order of 5 or more books may be printed and shipped from the United States. Postage is included in the purchase price when ordering from either country.
If you are thinking of sending books as gifts to others, you may consider having those books mailed directly to the recipient(s), by Amazon, at time of ordering. In this way, you would avoid Canada Post fees which currently run about $20.00 (plus tax) for one or two books, if enclosed in a single mailer.
For more background information on the story, go to the lead story on this blog.
Cheers,
Harold
Link Here for Chapter 1 of the High School Years
Link Here for Chapter 2 of the High School Years
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Tags: Trails North and West, Aaron Pinsky, Bernard Miron, Bill Martineau, Cold Lake, Cold Lake 1950, Cold Lake Airbase, Cold Lake Grade 8, Cold Lake High School, Cold Lake High School Early Years, Cold Lake The Early Years, Cold Lake Tropicana Night Club, Denis Sanregret, Donald Savard, Donna Backwell, Gordie Wusyk, Grand Centre, Guy Venne, Jimmy Martineau, John Poirier, Louie Lefebvre, Margy Savage, Neil Hatch, Paul Lefebvre, Peggy Ruggles, Roundel Hotel, Shirley Backwell, The Silent Generation, Tropicana Night Club
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Comments (11)
Hey Harold, what you’ve done here is really neat. I love how you describe the times, you described it very well and have brought back many memories to me, some good ones and some not so good. Being born in 1943, I was on the cusp of it, but still was pretty much a part of it all, that was until I quite school to go to work in the adult world. Just the same it’s something I’d like to share with my kids and something to mull over with those I’m still in contact with. I do happen to have a yearbook somewhere of around that time. Thank you for this.
The drummer is Gary McLaughlan
Thanks Sis will add his name. The opening comment was also updated. It was the 1961 Honour Roll was it not. Tell Frank that if I missed anything, let me know and I will add it. I’ve gone this far, no use holding back now.
Hello Harold!
I came across your website a month or two ago while doing some research on Cold Lake History, and have enjoyed travelling back in time with you! I moved here for my nursing career about 9 years ago, and since I’m now raising at least two babies down the street from your old high school, I though it would be good to be able to picture the old town how it was from its inception until now. And now that I’ve started, I can’t stop! It’s fascinating! You paint pictures with your words! Friends of mine just purchased the D&B convenient store that you knew as “Rhyason’s” in your blog, and they want to pay tribute to its history! I’d be interested in what you remember about the old store, if you have memories!
Thanks for the kind comments Angie. Indeed I have several memories of Rhyersons Store and Mrs. Rhyerson as we used to pop in regularly to spend whatever change we shake loose. Don’t think I have any photos, but will post a note on my FB page as I have several school friends from back in those days. Will send you an email. Cheers, Harold
Hi there, I am Dorothy Marshall’s (nee Hartman) daughter. Mom was quite excited when she discovered this site while surfing the net yesterday, so excited that she told me to have a look! She quite enjoyed taking a trip down memory and seeing old pictures of herself.Keep up the great work!
Glad you found the site and that Dorthy enjoyed. I’ve added a lot of school photos in other locations linked to the High School Years stories. Cheers, Harold
These stories brought back some sweet memories for me. a wonderful trip down memory lane . the photos were great. It has made me miss those days.
Well, well. Pleased to see your name pop up. I’m in regular contact via FB with many ‘kids’ from back in our HS days (Guy, Dawna, Shirley and others). Also, a lot of Cold Lake friends through FB. Cheers, Harold
Hi Dorthy, So glad you found those stories and, yes, they hold many fond memories. Thanks to social media and the blog, I’ve been able to get in touch with many friends from back in the day. Cheers, Harold