... they were so disruptive and a few times- in those days the strap was used in the schools. And ah couple of times these kids- there were two twins in particular and oh they were hell-raisers. So I reported them to the principal and the principal came into the class with his strap and of course he laid it on and I'm sure the dust flew out of the back- blackboard. I felt so badly for them but ah then the kids turned around and said, "Oh, that's nothing. The way I get beat at home with a board." (Laughs)

Interviewer: How- how would they discipline you, like if you did something wrong? How- what would they do? Speaker: Well then, the strap (laughs). ... They used to (inc) the strap then, a great big thing like this. And if you- if you would have stepped out of line, they would ah call you up and you get the strap in front ...

... we had to have a teacher replaced, so she filled in for six months. [0:15:17.6] ... She wasn't going to have any- any spoiled kids so I got the strap the first week she took over.

She was a principal. ... if she wasn't smiling, she had- she- she made- she'd have some pretty bad characters coming into her office, and then it was ah, like, you-know, the strap was used, eh?

Interviewer: Did you ever get in trouble with her? Speaker: Pretty close a few times, but no, never with her. ... Um, later in high-school I got- but no prin-- no straps then, they weren't allowed.

Interviewer: What did they do for discipline? Speaker: Well they- they- they'd try to give you the strap but I never got it. I-guess I always seemed to get away from that (laughs).

Interviewer: What would they do for discipline then? Speaker: Ah the boys would get a strap. ... Girls would sit in the corner. Interviewer: Oh they wouldn't give the girls the strap? Speaker: I don't think so. I don't ever remember getting the strap anyhow (laughs). Interviewer: Were you a rebel? Speaker: No, no (laughs). I was probably too afraid (laughs),

You-know I used to call- call him Lionel now and remember calling him Mister-Whittaker. ... But he'd give you the strap. Wow could he strap! ... Oh! Me! He blistered my hand ...

Speaker: ... they banned the strap now. ... That- garbage. ... As far as I'm concerned. The stra-- the strap never hurt me. It stung like hell but never- um-

Well Dad, he laid into me when I got- when I went in the door. "Up- get to your bedroom, no supper!" And he nailed me with the strap across the butt.... Ah I was up in my room, no supper. (makes crying noise) Five minutes later, Mother comes up with a big tray of food for me.

I remember my dad ah, my grandfather gave him a leather razor strap. ... And I got that across the butt a few times. ... Never anywhere else, but oh. You-know.

Interviewer: Yeah? Did you ever get in trouble for something you never did? Speaker: Don't think so. I lived through school without getting a strap.

Interviewer: Now you said the stra-- they had the strap in those days. What was that like? Speaker: Not- not- if you were a delinquent, you just got sent to the principal. In high-school, you graduated from the strap so- Interviewer: You graduated from (laughs) the strap. Speaker: Yeah.

Interviewer: ... I heard a story that you were up that tree smoking. ... Speaker: He got lots of straps eh, he got the strap nearly every day.

... the principal that we had at Victoria-Street, the kids would love to get in trouble with him because (laughs) he had asthma so if you had to get the strap for every time he go "(deep inhale)" (laughs) they knew that they'd be into great trouble in ah- like they'd- they like to get in trouble just to get him (laughs) to have to breathe.

We were having a nice smoke out there. And the teacher caught us. ... So she's giving us the strap and a talking-to, and the whole business.

... as far as I know we liked that teacher, Miss-Nevin- Amelia-Nevin. We liked her, she was good, but she ah, gave us a strapping every day, Ross-McTavish and I. Just to- I-think it was to cow the young lads and the rest.

Speaker: Oh yes, there was thirty of us or-something one day, all got the strap. ... (Laughs) We went skating and the fellow's watch that he had was no good. It stopped. And we were very late at getting back to school (laughs).

Interviewer: Now what do you remember about school days? Speaker: Well, you- you were thinking I got a strap a lot, yeah. Interviewer 2: (Laughs) Interviewer: Ah (laughs)- well did you? Speaker: No.

... the teacher sent me home to- to do some w-- book work like, you-know and of course there was only paper work I should say. So I didn't do it and I said, "Well I lost it and it rained on it." ... Well she said, "The paper's not wet so it couldn't have-" so she gave me the strap.