Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
Walking into the East End Community Centre on Friday brought back a flood of memories for Rita Cullen and her friends.
Cullen, 76, moved to the east end of Brandon when she was 15 years old and lived there for most of her life.
“This is where we would come, this is where we would meet everybody,” Cullen said. “I met my future husband here, met my future friends here, and we are still friends today.”
Cullen sat at a table at the community centre’s 80th Birthday Reunion tea, with friends of nearly 60 years, Rene Shaw, 86 and Gwen Howell, 74.
Back in the ’50s, they called themselves the “East End Gang.”
On Friday, the gang sat down together and reminisced about the good times they had at the community centre and in the neighbourhood.
“There’s a lot of memories,” Cullen said. “A lot of young memories. You walk in and you think you’re 16 again.”
Shaw has been an east-ender since 1947 and was very involved with the community centre. Now she belongs to the seniors group.
“We used to have jam-pail curling, sock hops, dances for adults,” she said. “There was catering in here, baseball, softball … A little of everything.”
There was a time when activity at the community centre sort of fizzled out, but over the past few years there has been a rejuvenation within the building.
“It’s back to being active again, and I think it’s because younger people got involved in it,” Shaw said.
“It’s kind of nice to see the little ones growing up to be business people now.”
Events are planned for the whole weekend to mark the 80th anniversary. Friday included a meet-and-greet classic car show. Today’s lineup includes a magician at 1 p.m. and a kids carnival from 2-5 p.m.
A barbecue is being held from 5-7 p.m., followed by a social from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The weekend wraps up with a breakfast buffet at Trails West Inn at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Dana Austin, East End Community Centre president, said it was important to organize the weekend celebration to recognize and thank people from the past.
“It’s important for the people that live here now to see what we do have available,” Austin said.
“The population in the area has grown and we’re trying to bring the new people … and help them be aware of what’s going on here, and hopefully we’ll be able to get them involved ... We’re trying to bring it back to the way it used to be.”
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition July 21, 2012
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Walking into the East End Community Centre on Friday brought back a flood of memories for Rita Cullen and her friends.
Cullen, 76, moved to the east end of Brandon when she was 15 years old and lived there for most of her life.
Already subscribed? Login to view full article.
Not yet a subscriber? Click Here to Signup
Walking into the East End Community Centre on Friday brought back a flood of memories for Rita Cullen and her friends.
Cullen, 76, moved to the east end of Brandon when she was 15 years old and lived there for most of her life.
A subscription to the Brandon Sun Newspaper is required to view this article. Please update your user information if you are already a newspaper subscriber.
Most Popular
Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments
You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.