John, Marc, and Pierre Bedard with Frank Wiens, June 1974. For $1,300, no small sum, I set off to Selkirk, Manitoba from Vientiane, Laos in 1973. In this picture, I can’t believe I survived my first year. My Dad, after visiting the school, can’t believe I wanted to come back for my second year. Frank can’t believe I just had him confirm, in front of my Dad, our agreement.
Frank, after some beers at the school Open House on June 1st, agreed to let me go pick grapes in the Beaujolais region of France for vendange in September. He also agreed to let me graduate by letting me take all the Grade 12 curricula as a Grade 11, without any of the Grade 12 privileges. I didn’t really care about the privileges, I just wanted to get out as fast as possible. I’ve cut many deals in my career, but this was probably my best. How he agreed, I will never know, but once Frank said “Yes” in front of my Dad, there was no going back.
One year later, I was on my way to UC San Diego. Marc, my brother (#1011), who attended the school a few years later, has no clue about what is in store for him.
Pierre, reading your “welcome” package, I could actually smell the inside of the old stone building! Creepy!
My parents couldn’t believe I wanted to come back either. By October I couldn’t believe I’d wanted to!
That’s funny. I’m from Quebec, too. And Grade 10 Selkirk was material – all subjects – a repeat of Grade 9 Montreal, a complete year behind. Had to work hard, find mentors, just for basic society life skills, after exiting.
And on Selkirk, have always found that Tom Courtenay nails the mood in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. The isolation. No escape. Surrounded by lower intelligence. And Manitoba, the prairies, were just a vast Siberia of more Selkirk.
Enjoy, anyone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOEPmltff6A&t=32s