The Victoria Community Development Corporation
James Dean (son of Samuel Dean)

One time he directed a play called "The Irene B. Mellon Show"

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My father left Victoria in the 1920s to work in the mines in Sydney. While he was living in Sydney, he joined the Salvation Army and he learned to play music. It was during this time that an accident took place in the mines. Two cars crashed into each other and father lost his leg. The family had to move several times while they lived in Sydney. However, mother, Mary Ann, did not like moving around and she said " When I move again it will be back to Newfoundland to stay!" And so they did.

When he returned to Victoria, he was asked to join the band in the Orange Lodge because he could play music. He taught members of the band to play the cornet, trumpet, bugle, and trombone. He would organize and put off concerts in the Lodge. There were concerts on Boxing Day and in the spring. The place would be blocked. Admissions were 10 cents.

One time he directed a play called "The Irene B. Mellon Show". There would be about 15 members from the band involved in the concert. They used to call these concerts ‘Sammy Dean Concerts'. If a band member died, the rest of the band would play at the funeral.

When father joined the Pentecostal Church, we left the Orange Lodge. He did not get involved in the band after that.

Click here for a PDF version of Victoria: Recalling Our Heritage.

Stories

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Power Plant | Victoria's Birth | Prison Camp | Midwifery

Special Memories

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Josh Antle | Eva Ash | Samuel Burke | Doris Clarke | Ester Clarke | James Clarke
John Clarke | Nathaniel Clarke | Reg and Emmie Clarke | Roy Clarke
Beulah Cole | Mark Cole | Steve Cole | Clarence Collins | Nina Curnew
James Dean | Helen Higdon | Leonard Inniss | Fanny Inniss | Millie Langer | Virda Layden
Hazel Peckham | Violet Parsons | Norman Penney | Rosalie Penney | Harold Priddle
George Snooks | Sarah Snow | Jean Stephenson | William Stephenson
Lillian Vaters | Maxine Vaters | Annie Whyte | Cyril Whyte