Transcript of interview with Gordon Wagg, conducted by Michelle Tapp. Michelle Tapp: Interview with Gordon Wagg on August 12, 2015. What do you know about the naming of the streets in the community? We re on Earle Drive right now, which I understand was named after an individual. What do you know about this? Gordon Wagg: It is named after Leonard Earle, the founder of Pasadena. Mr. Earle owned all this land from South Brook Brook to Pynn s Brook Road, twenty five hundred acres. He bought it from Mar in St. John s in about 1933. He started a farm in Pasadena. When we came here, there wasn t seven families in Pasadena, and Midland started with a twenty five family unit. Out in South Brook, there might have been about twenty families there at the time. They were all working for the water company, or on the railway. Michelle: There is a Wagg Place in Pasadena, was this street named after anyone in your family? Gordon: It was named after my father. Michelle: Interesting, and how did your father contribute to the community? Gordon: He came here with the regular settlers, as a fisherman. He was going to start to be a farmer. He started clearing the land, and was supposed to make a living for himself. It didn t really work out, as they only could only grow so many vegetables each year. Over time, he started working in the woods, hauling up trees, and he had a horse in there. He worked out in Stephenville for a little while. He tried to make a living here on the land, and he cleared some of the fields up there, which was done by the government with a little tractor. A little cable would be wrapped around a tree to pull it out. Michelle: I understand that Pasadena used to be separated into the three communities of Pasadena, South Brook and Midland. Growing up in Midland, did you feel separated from Pasadena and South Brook, or did you often interact with these people? Gordon: We all intermingled with everyone that was around. There was a building down there called the bunkhouse, and it was converted into a hall, so you would mingle with everyone. The same thing with the churches, we went to whatever church we wanted to. Everybody became friends between South Brook and here. Michelle: What was schooling like when you were growing up? I understand that schools were often separated based on religious denomination.
Gordon: The school was broken up into two parts, the Catholic teacher would be on one end, and the Protestant teacher would be in another end. When the Catholics would have their prayers, we would have to go outside, and come back in when they were done. The school wasn t divided as such, it was just two departments. The Catholics built there on Church Street by the brook, and the Anglicans finally built a church, but it burned down in later years. Michelle: Do you think that religious denomination separated people in any way? Gordon: No, I don t think so. You could go to any church you wanted, whenever you wanted. We would be out playing ball, and when the Catholics were called in for rosary, we would go in and pray with them. There wasn t any animosity, or at least none that I saw. Michelle: I understand that you were heavily involved in the Lion s Club. Other than that, were you involved in any other organizations? Gordon: I was chairman of the church men s club, and I was in the home school association for a little bit. Michelle: When you were growing up, what did you do to pass the time? Gordon: We just played around, and played ball. We would skate, slide, and other activities. When you got older, you would go in the woods and catch rabbits, and ride the skidoo. I soon started to work, and was married at twenty. I worked at the dairy farm here for thirty years, I was a herdsmen there as a farmer. I didn t have much time for anything, by the time I got home from there. We would carry water from one place to another, and cut wood. Michelle: Do you remember any local nicknames on any places throughout the community? For example, one that we have often heard about is a particular side of South Brook was often referred to as The Patch. Gordon: What was South Brook, the old highway went right between it. The people that lived on one side of South Brook, most of them were loggers, and worked on the railway. The lower side of South Brook, they worked for Bowaters. What they called The Patch, was the upper side. Michelle: Do you know where the name came from? Gordon: Not really, but they used to call it the rabbit patch. I don t know who put the name on it.
Michelle: Were there any other nicknames that you remember? Gordon: Not really, no. It was just the three communities, Pasadena, Midland and South Brook. When the council got together and things became amalgamated, it was Pasadena-Midland and South Brook. Pasadena-Midland was eventually shortened to just Pasadena. They eliminated Midland, but I still say I m going into Midland. Midland was the biggest part, it was twenty five families. It s hard to talk to people about it today, because a lot of people don t even know where Midland was. Michelle: What were some holidays that were celebrated within your family? Gordon: Labour Day was a big day, certain things would go on. Christmas just went through the twelve days of Christmas. People would visit families, and have a drink. Michelle: Would you say that holidays are celebrated differently today? Gordon: It s too modernized today. There s too much into Christmas, that doesn t have much to do with Christmas. Kids are getting huge gifts, which isn t what Christmas should be about. Michelle: What sorts of businesses, like stores or restaurants were around when you were younger? Gordon: There were no restaurants here; the only restaurants were in Corner Brook. You would pay a dollar to go down to Corner Brook on the bus. Michelle: What about stores in the area? Gordon: There weren t too many grocery stores here. Art Watts built one on the old highway, Martin built one in South Brook, and Mr. Watton had a store that is still out there in Pasadena. There was a Midland Store that was there when we came here, that s where people shopped. They rented the Co-op store a little later. Mr. Mews came here and built one where Irving is now. Stores were limited. Restaurants came later, Allen French came and built one, and there was a restaurant by Brennan s store. Otherwise, you would have to leave and go to Corner Brook or Deer Lake for a lunch out. Michelle: That brings us to the end of the general questions. So now I am going to ask some questions about your involvement in the Lion s Club. When did the organization begin?
Gordon: The Lion s Club was formed in November of 1965. This coming November, we will have fifty years in. I went through the whole thing, and was one of the first sixteen charter members. There are only three of those sixteen alive now, plus myself, and those three are no longer members. I am the only charter member alive right now, and when I finish up in November, there will never be another charter member in the club. There are three other guys in the club who were charter members of another club, just not the Midland/Pasadena Club. They re from Labrador, Nova Scotia and Steady Brook. The Pasadena Club is something that started from little or nothing. We would walk the street and sell mops and brooms. In my opinion, the Lion s Club is more of a business now, rather than a club. We sell a book of tickets for a basket, rather than going door to door. Michelle: So you mentioned that you are currently still a member, correct? Gordon: I m just a member now, the last charter member. I never could become King Lion, because I never had the time to travel to the events that would take place, as I was in the milk house every day. Michelle: What position did you have within the club? Gordon: I went from first vice, second, and third. I was in the membership for a number of years, and in on the regular meetings in between, nothing spectacular. Michelle: You mentioned that there were sixteen original members of the club. Are you able to name some? Gordon: The only ones who are alive right now are myself, Gerald Wight and Nelson Bennett, and Roy Myles. The Lioness were here for years, but then they were disbanded. The Lion s Foundation said that the ladies of the Lioness Club were coming over as Lions. I didn t know what to think of that at first, I was one of the guys who would tell jokes and stories in the club. But it was the best thing that ever happened to the Pasadena Club was when the ladies joined as Lions. They worked hard, they had a lot of different ideas, and were always there to help; they re still working. The Pasadena Club was down to close to seven members at one point, but once the ladies joined it picked up. We have quite a good club right now. Michelle: What would you say is the purpose of the Lion s Club? What do they do for the community? Gordon: We raise funds, and the money is spent on the community. If I know that someone is sick, I bring the news the club, and we have a standard $250 that we give out. The club is not about the club
itself, it s about the work for the community and the people. The only thing that we get out of it is the satisfaction of giving back. Michelle: What would you say is your favourite part of being a part of the Lion s Club? Gordon: Just being a Lion, I guess. I m not a part of any other organizations. I like mingling with the people, having a lunch, a drink and a carry-on. You go to talk to the ladies and men, to socialize. The socializing is the best part of it. Michelle: And what made you want to become a member? Gordon: It was just one of those things; they came here and said that they were going to form a Lion s Club, and I was asked to join. I didn t have any other commitments at the time, and I thought that it would be something to do, so I just went along. I just joined for something to do, not expecting it to last fifty years. I just kept going and going, and the only thing I got out of it was the satisfaction of helping people. We bought wheelchairs, and I worked in the Santa Claus Parade, driving with the cops and giving out candy.