BOUDREAU, Leo

I was born on 6 Sep 1937 in Cheticamp, Cape Breton, NS.  On my 17th birthday, I left for Halifax to join up, and on 20 Sep 1954, I was a member of the 2nd Bn the Canadian Guards.  For a French Acadian, whose English was not really up to par and who had never left Cape Breton (I had gone to Sydney once), my arrival at Camp Petawawa ON was a rude awakening to, say the least.  But a year and half later I was on my Group 2 PT Course in Camp Borden (in the old wooden framed little gym in which we had to really work hard to warm up in the morning because of the cold).  I loved the camaraderie we had in the Infantry but working part time at the gymnasium in Petawawa under Terry Weatherall, Sam Magee, Nick Procenko, Earl Allen and Jerry Kasanda who had replaced Terry for a few months to name a few, convinced me that to be an Army PTI was the only option to take.(If not for Jerry I could have never learned to do a standing back somersault without landing on my face,)

This led to my Group 3 PT Course in 1958, promotion to Sergeant and then the postings started.  From the Canadian Guards Depot to Germany with the 1st Bn of the Black Watch and posted for the remainder of my tour to the 1st Bn The Canadian Guards. Then off to Picton, La Citadelle de Quebec, CFB Valcartier, Le College Militaire Royale de  St. Jean, CFB Chatham, CFB Valcartier, RMC Kingston, Le College Militaire Royale de St. Jean once again, CFB Gagetown, 6 months tour in the Golan Heights, CFB Valcartier (for the third time) and in 1985 retirement in Nova Scotia.  The Military Colleges and the Golan Heights were by far the highlights of my military career, even though many other events from other Bases will forever remain engraved in my memory; some good and a few not so good.

From 1986 to 1996 I really enjoyed my second career in Real Estate in Halifax, where I met so many members from the Armed Forces posted in and out of the area.  In 1996 I retired from Real Estate to go to London ON where we stayed for 5 Years.  In London I met friends of mine who were in the Corps of Commissionaires.  For 3 years I worked in Security at Fanshawe Community College and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.  But once a Blue-noser always one, so in 2001 it was back to the Maritimes, Truro to be exact.  This is where I will live, play golf, visit my brothers and sisters and friends in Cape Breton, travel where my wife and I both think would be a good place to visit and do volunteer work for the Royal Canadian Legion for the remainder of this PERI’s life.

My step daughter and son-in-law are both in the Armed Forces; she is a MCpl working in Admn (Air Force)  and Mike is an   MWO at the Career Shop (Navy) and were lucky enough to both be posted to NDHQ last summer.. Guess what....... They have an 11 year old daughter and an 8 yrs old son that we just could not do without in our lives for that long, (I’m sure you all know what that is like),   SO,    we moved with them, and  are now citizens of Orleans. This is not  a forever move but for how long, depends on their next posting.     I’m only  twenty minutes from Scotia Place so guess where I am when the Montreal Canadiens are in town. And  I’m really looking forward to the Kingston Golf Reunion this June.

MENS SANA IN CORPRORE SANO