My MY... How Times Have Changed

ronecol

ronecol

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In the 1970s we lived in Bancroft. My oldest boy was in high school. It was common for him to go hunting for a few hours after school.

He'd come home after school change his clothes and head out with his .22. At the end of our street (Johnston Cresc) is the public school. Beyond the public school was the woods. Carrying his rifle he'd walk down Johnston Cresc, through the school yard - often with kids playing in the yard - and on into the woods. A few hours later he'd make the return trip usually carrying a rabbit or two or maybe a grouse.

No one thought that was odd or unusual and definitely no one ever called the police to dispatch the swat team.

Can you imagine that occurring today?

There's probably hundreds of such or somewhat similar stories to remember in the good old days.
 
When I worked in Elliot Lake for the Rio Algom uranium mine, I watched a guy leave his house at least once a week in the evening with a gun atop his shoulder, and walk through town towards the bush. Half hour later he would return with a bunny or two. No one batted an eye
 
Yes , times have certainly changed . My Middle/High School had a shooting range in the basement of our school that we all had to walk through to get to the cafeteria. The range was used mostly for the Cadets , but the local gun club used it regularly in the winter months as well . The local K-Mart , Zellers , Woolco , Canadian Tire , and most small hardware stores all sold firearms and ammo as well .Of course , that was before the Nanny State took control of Canada .
 
During the '79 & '80 seasons I would bring my shotgun in a case to school riding the city bus and put it in my locker. After school I'd take the bus again to where city limits ended and hit some farms to hunt for cottontails, pheasants and maybe jump shoot a wood duck or two. Never had to ask permission to hunt. Farmers would see me walking the bush edges and fencelines of their fruit
orchards and would give a friendly wave or shout out "good luck son! Get them buggers out of my crops".
Then I bought myself a pick up truck and I'd still bring my gun to school in the case and lock it in my locker. Didn't want to leave my coveted A-5 in my truck.
Then one day some girl in one of my classes got upset about my gun being in the school. She made a big fuss about the "big bad hunter" so the principal called me and said he was sorry but I'd have to leave my gun at home or in my truck so I tucked it behind the truck seat after that. About the time I finished high school('81) the rifle club located in our school basement was closed down. I'd shot there for my 4 years in school as had many years worth of students before me. The school owned a bunch of Mossberg single shot 22 rifles, what they did with them I've no idea. Times were changing, so sad. Today's kids have no idea the things we got to enjoy and my generation was about the last to experience it. At least those of us that grew up in larger cities.
 
now if you see a kid walking towards a school , they may plan to shoot it up.
None of that crazy stuff yrs ago, mind you we would not of heard about it.
I still remember the barn for the horses.
Country school.
 
When I was in high school, my 12 gauge shotgun accompanied me on the bus from home. The principal kept the incased gun in his office until such time school was over, around 3:15pm. I then hopped onto another bus with a friend from school (farm boy) and hunted on his land................not today of course.
 
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ronecol said:
In the 1970s we lived in Bancroft. My oldest boy was in high school. It was common for him to go hunting for a few hours after school.

He'd come home after school change his clothes and head out with his .22. At the end of our street (Johnston Cresc) is the public school. Beyond the public school was the woods. Carrying his rifle he'd walk down Johnston Cresc, through the school yard - often with kids playing in the yard - and on into the woods. A few hours later he'd make the return trip usually carrying a rabbit or two or maybe a grouse.

No one thought that was odd or unusual and definitely no one ever called the police to dispatch the swat team.

Can you imagine that occurring today?
probably hundreds of such or somewhat similar stories to remember in the good old days.
Click to expand...

Having lived in Lamable everything has changed. Need to got to the methadone clinic

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I took the school bus to school in the early 1960's , just outside of Pembroke , Ont. I lived on Cotnams Island ,
in the Ottawa River. I walked 1 mile to mainland were I got the bus. Once a month a boy got
on the bus wearing an army uniform. He carried an FN FAL . .308 with 20 rnd. clip. NO CASE .
The other boys who say ,,,,,,,, "Practice after school today? " He would say "Yep". No more was said.
Same erra I bought my 1st. handgun. Shot behund the house ( in country).
 
I recollect one incident that happened when I was about 14 or 15.

Three of us were walking down the back road near home, each of us had a 22
rimfire [plus ammo] Along comes an RCMP vehicle. The police stopped and queried
us: "What are you up to, guys?" We explained that we were headed to Whyte's farm
to shoot some gophers. He said to us. "All good guys, just be careful where your shots go."

He drove away with a wave. Can you imagine what would transpire today?
Technically, we should not have been carrying guns without an adult along, but nothing
was said. Those were relaxed times, indeed. Dave.
 
ya in the day we never heard about school shootings and the like....then the media pumped the sh(t out of the first.. then another then provide the blueprint for some other mentally challenged...poor sob who wants to get his name out there for every bit of exposure he can....and wants to do it bigger and better than the last.....copy cats given direction through sensationalism via those who need more BIG PRESS and so its now the thing to do...don
 
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