The Youngs St. Boys
A loving tribute to parents lost, life lessons learned and to growing up on a very special street in Stratford
In 1978, eight teenage boys (Rob Appel, Gord Evans, Rick Gottschalk, Harry Grunenberg, Mike Johnson, Tom Macdonald, John Wakon and me) began a tradition that has continued over the past 42 years—and counting. It involves a yearly get-together where the “boys” meet to celebrate life’s events, play golf and appreciate friendships that have bonded them together for close to 60 years. The golf tournament is an event that is marked on the calendar first, and other events are planned around it.
We met as young kids growing up on Youngs Street in Stratford, Ont., and formed strong friendships that have seen us through life’s journey of school, marriages, careers, children, grandchildren, retirements and sadly, family losses. It was one such sad loss that solidified the tradition that continues today.
Our group suffered a traumatic loss when Cam Johnson, the father of my close friend Mike, died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51. For me, Cam was like a second father; he taught me how to fish, coached me (along with my own father) in baseball and was always a strong and positive presence in my life. For us boys, it was a shocking reality of how quickly life can change, as there had always been a close connection between us and our parents.
It was at this moment that our planned weekend get-together became the “Cam Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament.” For many years after Cam’s passing, his wife Mickey honoured the yearly golf champion with a Royal Canadian Mint coin set from the year of play. One of Cam’s passions was collecting coins, making it a fitting keepsake. The group also purchased a trophy that has plaques dated from 1978 through 2019. A second trophy for lowest net score is also presented and all eight “boys” have been winners at least once between the two trophies.
The weekend tradition has been held in many locations over the years, starting in Stratford, as well as Mount Forest, Orillia, Severn Bridge and Niagara Falls—even in Canton, Ohio. We started out the weekend tradition while living with our parents, then moved on to camping, rented houses, staying in hotels, and most recently have returned once more to Stratford. While
only two of the “boys” still live in Stratford, the rest have family ties there. In some odd way, it’s nice to have your 80-year-old parent drive you to the party so you can be responsible, much like they used to do decades ago.
The long-lasting friendships are very special, having shared some great times throughout our childhood, teen and adult years. Many of the favourite stories and tales are retold each year, some embellished a little, bringing laughter and smiles. Although we don’t all see one another on a regular basis due to distances and life demands, it is always a special moment when we do. I know I speak for all when we note that nothing speaks to friendship more than the heart. Each of us has endured the loss of a parent, some unfortunately both. It is in times like these, when we are at our lowest moments, that we look up and realize the Youngs St. boys are once again there for one another.
We are now a little greyer with thinning hairlines, but happy to keep the tradition alive. We have been blessed with relatively good health and are very thankful for that. One day we may plan a special celebration—maybe our 50th—at a far-off venue somewhere else in Canada, but then again, the trip back to Stratford holds special meaning for us all. ■