Saturday, May 16, 2009

Natatorium

 In lieu of a long missing photo in this topic , I am including the one that Ray Watson sent us of his Mom.(Gladys Priestley)Again thanks Ray even this many years later we appreciate your participation of your Mom at the Natatorium, I do have the orginal picture that we initially were talking about, but many of our photos didn't make the migration to this blog. I tried to save everything I could,so your submission is a great addition.
                           
                                                        Les,
"the following is from the original thread and the photo is missing)As promised, here is the photo taken at the Natatorium, probably in the 50s. We happen to have the original copy in our archives. I sure would like to have more information of this photo such as the event, the name of the official and of the swimmer. Notice the VHS crest on the swimmer's sweatshirt.
Guy

20 comments:

Les F said...

Guy, didn't Bill (secondave) or (biking) seem to know who that gal was,.or one of our members ,thought they knew who she was,(going back to the old MSN site,when it was posted there)

Guy Billard said...

Les,
I vaquely remember something along those lines but I would have taken note of the name had it been definitely identified. Maybe it will turn up in the future. Nothing more satisfiying than making that sort of discovery.
Guy

Les F said...

I know your right Guy, you would have noted that for sure,something else also comes to mind,that this type of event may have been hilighted in one of the VHS school yearbooks ?? Although I suspect you have checked those avenues as well..... We will figure it out in time I guess,..Was that photo also in the Guardian by chance ,certainly if they reported it,tehy would have named all in the photo.
HF&RV

Guy Billard said...

Les,
I have thought about the VHS yearbooks but this would be too big a task to do. I ocasionally go through them for a specific year but I don't have time to go through all the yearbooks of the 50s and the 60s. Nevertheless, I now have the subject in the back of my mind and will be in the lookout for that pretty looking gal in the old local papers and yearbooks, she may even turnup on this site as a member.
Guy

robert jomphe said...

A few years ago I met a LaPrairie a man who's name I believe was Viau his father was the one who used to sell us our bicycle licenses at the police station. He showed me a picture of is father with Johnny Weisstmuller at the inauguration of the Natatorium. He said that he had all kinds of pictures from those days. He moved out of LaPrairie and I didn't get is new address now I wish I had been a
smarter and had goten the information.

Guy Billard said...

Wow, woudn't that be something if we had a photo of Johnny Weissmuller at the Natatorium. If that is true, there must be photos around taken by the local newspapers therefore would have been published. I will work on that one.
Guy

Gord Carlington said...

Wasn't that Gladys Priestly who was a very good swimmer, I brelieve she lived on Willibrord Ave, and her Dad was Chief of detective for verdun & the timing would be 1950-ish, she was a student at Verdun High.

Gordo

Guy Billard said...

Gordo,
Can you give me a quesstimate year so that I can start my research in the VHS Yearbooks. Now you got me going.
Guy

Gord Carlington said...

Guy; I would guess 1950 to 54 as iI finished Willibrord in 53 and I seem to think she was a little younger

Gord

Les F said...

Gladys Priestley
Full name: Gladys Jean Priestley (-Watson)
Gender: Female
Born: June 17, 1938 in Montréal, Québec, Canada
Country: Canada
Sport: Swimming
Canada Swimming at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games
Canada at the 1952 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games

Host City: Helsinki, Finland
Date Started: July 26, 1952
Date Finished: August 2, 1952

Events for Canada: 11
Participants for Canada: 9 (5 men and 4 women)
Youngest Participant for Canada: Gladys Priestley (14 years, 40 days)
Oldest Participant for Canada: Irene Strong (23 years, 150 days)
Most Medals for Canada (Athlete): No medalists
http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/CAN/summer/1952/SWI/

Les F said...

and here from a Common Wealth Games list..........
440 Yards Freestyle
GOLD SILVER BRONZE
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966 Phyllis Dewar CAN
Dorothy Green AUS
Joan Harrison SAF
Lorraine Crapp AUS
Ilsa Konrads AUS
Dawn Fraser AUS
Kathy Wainwright AUS 5:45.6
5:39.7
5:26.4
5:11.4
4:49.4
4:51.4
4:38.8 Jennie Maakal SAF
Margaret Jeffrey ENG
Margaret Wellington ENG
Gladys Priestley CAN
Dawn Fraser AUS
Ilsa Konrads AUS
Jenny Thorn AUS 5:53.0
5:40.2
5:33.7
5:19.6
5:00.8
4:55.0
4:44.5 Irene Pirie CAN
Mona Leydon NZL
Denise Norton AUS
Margaret Girvan SCO
Lorraine Crapp AUS
Liz Long ENG
Kim Herford AUS
http://www.gbrathletics.com/commonwealth/swimw.htm

Les F said...

and from another list, this list is one of Olympian Athletes they annot find right now: ( I think??)
about halfway down the list is her name ,from the Melbourne Games ?? 1956
Missing Olympic Alumni


Do you know of a fellow Olympian who is not receiving the Olympians Canada newsletters? If you know someone on the list and their whereabouts, please contact Atila Ozkaplan at aozkaplan@olympic.ca or (604) 678-2557.


1956
Last Name/Prénom First Name/Nom Sport Discipline/Sport Discipline Games/Jeux
Servold Clarence Cross Country Skiing/Ski de fond 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Johnston Ann Figure Skating/Patinage artistique 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Paul Robert Figure Skating/Patinage artistique 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Wagner Barbara Figure Skating/Patinage artistique 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Brodeur Denis Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Brooker Charles Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Colvin William Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Horne James Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Hurst Arthur Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Knox Paul Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Laufman Ken Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Lee Howard Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Logan James Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Scholes George Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
White Rob Ice Hockey/Hockey sur glace 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo /Cortina d'Ampezzo
Priestly Gladys Aquatics/Sports aquatiques - Swimming/Natatation 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
George Margaret Athletics/Athlétisme 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Jensen Eleanor Athletics/Athlétisme 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Kozak Dorothy Athletics/Athlétisme 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Money Kenneth Athletics/Athlétisme 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Beattie Edward Boxing/Boxe 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Kozak Walter Boxing/Boxe 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Mason Leslie Boxing/Boxe 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Bossy George Canoe/Kayak/Canoë-kayak - Flatwater/Sprint 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Collins William Canoe/Kayak/Canoë-kayak - Flatwater/Sprint 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Melia Leslie Canoe/Kayak/Canoë-kayak - Flatwater/Sprint 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Smith Robert Canoe/Kayak/Canoë-kayak - Flatwater/Sprint 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Markus Alfred Cycling/Cyclisme - Road/Route 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Markus Alfred Cycling/Cyclisme - Track/Piste 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Elder James Equestrian/Sports équestres - Eventing/Concours complet 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne
Pretty Donald Rowing/Aviron 1956 Melbourne /Melbourne

http://www.olympic.ca/EN/athletes/tc/olympians/missing/1956.shtml
I wonder if she is related to the actor Jason Priestly,who I have heard is / was a Canadian (but i thought they lived here on Vancouver Island ???? HF&RV

Guy Billard said...

I am trying to narrow down my research. If we are talking about the same Gladys Priesley who was born in 1938 and went to VHS, she would have to be about 14 or 15 years old wich would make it 1952-53 or 54. Does this sound right ?
Guy

Gord Carlington said...

Sounds good to me !

ordo

Les F said...

glad your not fighting.................lol

Ray Watson said...

I think that this photo http://raywatson.ca/Gladys-Priestley/Gladys-Priestley-1952.html was taken at the Natatorium. It is from 1952. Gladys Priestley is my mom. You can contact me for any other info/photos.

Les_F said...

Thanks Ray ,that photo is certainly the Natatorium. congrats to your Mom she must have been a great swimmer.

Ray Watson said...

Thanks Les_F.

Les_F said...

Ray it's us that thank you , I've posted the photo you sent via your link in your comment, if you go back to the top of this thread, you will now see your Mom's picture at the Nat, as the feature photo, since our original picture didn't make the trip here from our old site, I saved all I could but some photos didn't migrate properly, so if you don't mind maybe we can use this photo with your permission ,and when I find the original one of your Mom at the Nat I will post it also. Cheers ! Les

Ray Watson said...

Glad I could share the photo with you Les. I was actually cleaning out boxes from my Mom's attic last weekend and we had boxes of photos and newspaper clippings from my Mom's swimming career. Plus boxes of trophies, her Olympic clothing etc. It was quite the history lesson for me!