North Bay school, family members remember alumni killed in Second World War
When war in Europe broke out in 1939, Gerald Laronde walked the halls of Scollard Hall Boy’s College before enlisting with the Canadian Armed Forces to take on the Nazis.
“He was a wireless tail gunner,” said his nephew and namesake Gerald Laronde.
“He was driving Hamptons. He was killed on landing in Lincolnshire and he’s buried in Waddington, England.”
The elder Laronde is one of the ‘Scollard 31, a group of 31 young men from the former school who gave their lives in the war.
St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic School held a Remembrance Day ceremony Thursday, paying respects to the Scollard 31 and the 352 people from the school who fought in the war.
Colin Vezina's brother, Howard Vezina, was a member of the Scollard 31.
"He was assigned to the Irish Fusiliers, who were a part of the Vancouver regiment,” Colin said.
“They were shipped down the Pacific to Panama through the Panama Canal to the British West Indies to guard against German invasion by submarine … Somewhere along the line on training, he suffered a head injury and it killed him."
After the war ended in 1945, the mothers of the Scollard 31 commissioned a statue of the Virgin Mary, but it was lost when construction began to merge Scollard Hall with the then St. Joseph's College.
St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic School held a Remembrance Day ceremony Thursday, paying respects to the Scollard 31 and the 352 people from the school who fought in the Second World War. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
So retired school teachers Peter Gavan, Al Orlando, principal Derek Belanger, along with alumni Bob Lucenti and Vezina decided to commission a new statue along with a plaque were unveiled in the school's courtyard.
"To me, it’s a heartwarming tribute to the boys. These 31 and the others were doing what they're doing,” said Colin Vezina.
“Worrying about exams, hooting and hollering and eating mom's cooking. They suddenly found themselves killing people.”
He spoke to students during the ceremony, encouraging them to take a few minutes to walk by the plaque and statue to say a prayer.
“Think of the sacrifice made and please God, we don’t want to see any more from Scollard or any more wars,” he said.
“They left here as boy soldiers and some came back home as hardened men.”
Gerald Laronde had similar sentiments for the student body.
"It's good we all take a few minutes to appreciate the sacrifice,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.