*****THIS MONTH, WITH THE 50th ANNIVERSARY, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING FOR THIS PROJECT*****
****See the gofundme link below****
Tuesday, March 4, 1975, began like any other school day for the children of St. Albert's Separate School on Eyre Street.
Teachers were welcoming their arriving students to another day of class. Children who lived nearby were walking along Eyre and Albert Streets heading for the entrance to the schoolyard, while their bus-riding classmates were arriving and disembarking nearby.
All of this happiness and hope for another exciting school day would disappear in the blink of an eye that fateful morning though, leaving an entire school community in mourning and two devastated families in its wake.
Shortly before 9 a.m., as the school bell rang and children arrived, Mr. Laine Poulin, 60 (or 62, depending on the report), owner of Sunshine Cleaners on Elm Street West, was driving one of his company’s vehicles westbound and approaching the intersection of Albert and Eyre Streets.
At Poulin approached the intersection, he suffered a fatal heart attack (latered determined to be caused by a coronary thrombosis) that caused him to slump forward against the steering wheel and veer off course.
At the same moment, a school bus filled with lively pre-schoolers sat in front of the school while the youngsters disembarked. After four-year-old Tommy Fraboni stepped off the bus, he bolted in the direction of the schoolyard. The running child was duly chased by Gordon Lapointe, 13, who was on duty as a lieutenant in the school safety patrol, tasked with helping children cross the street.
Poulin’s vehicle, completely out of control, careened across Eyre Street and jumped the curb onto the sidewalk, slamming into Gordon and Tommy as the 13-year-old tried to push the younger boy to safety. The runaway vehicle struck another two students — Marcel Paquette, 13, and his brother, Renald, 10 — before plowing through a seven-foot chain-link fence and into the St. Albert's schoolyard, sending dozens of children scrambling out of its deadly path. The runaway van could have caused more damage had it not been for the quick thinking of 15-year-old Rheal Renaud.
When ambulances arrived, Lapointe and Fraboni were quickly rushed to Memorial Hospital. Unfortunately, shortly before 11 a.m., Gordon Lapointe, the 13-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Florent (Fern) Lapointe, died. Coroner Dr. J. A. Pidutti found the boy had died of a fractured skull and multiple internal injuries.
Today, 50 years after the accident, let us take the time to mourn the loss of a life that was just beginning and the potential that could no longer be fulfilled due to this tragedy. St. Albert's Separate School is now gone, but the site of the heroic actions of both Gordon Lapointe and Rheal Renaud remains and is now known as the “Marguerite and Gerry Lougheed Park.” Maybe, in this anniversary year, a plaque should be erected to honour the heroism that was displayed on that tragic day.
But, for now, let us just say: Thank you and rest in peace, Gordon.
*****THIS MONTH, WITH THE 50th ANNIVERSARY, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING FOR THIS PROJECT*****
****See the gofundme link below****
Tuesday, March 4, 1975, began like any other school day for the children of St. Albert's Separate School on Eyre Street.
Teachers were welcoming their arriving students to another day of class. Children who lived nearby were walking along Eyre and Albert Streets heading for the entrance to the schoolyard, while their bus-riding classmates were arriving and disembarking nearby.
All of this happiness and hope for another exciting school day would disappear in the blink of an eye that fateful morning though, leaving an entire school community in mourning and two devastated families in its wake.
Shortly before 9 a.m., as the school bell rang and children arrived, Mr. Laine Poulin, 60 (or 62, depending on the report), owner of Sunshine Cleaners on Elm Street West, was driving one of his company’s vehicles westbound and approaching the intersection of Albert and Eyre Streets.
At Poulin approached the intersection, he suffered a fatal heart attack (latered determined to be caused by a coronary thrombosis) that caused him to slump forward against the steering wheel and veer off course.
At the same moment, a school bus filled with lively pre-schoolers sat in front of the school while the youngsters disembarked. After four-year-old Tommy Fraboni stepped off the bus, he bolted in the direction of the schoolyard. The running child was duly chased by Gordon Lapointe, 13, who was on duty as a lieutenant in the school safety patrol, tasked with helping children cross the street.
Poulin’s vehicle, completely out of control, careened across Eyre Street and jumped the curb onto the sidewalk, slamming into Gordon and Tommy as the 13-year-old tried to push the younger boy to safety. The runaway vehicle struck another two students — Marcel Paquette, 13, and his brother, Renald, 10 — before plowing through a seven-foot chain-link fence and into the St. Albert's schoolyard, sending dozens of children scrambling out of its deadly path.
The runaway van could have caused more damage had it not been for the quick thinking of 15-year-old Rheal Renaud.
When ambulances arrived, Lapointe and Fraboni were quickly rushed to Memorial Hospital.
Unfortunately, shortly before 11 a.m., Gordon Lapointe, the 13-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Florent (Fern) Lapointe, died. Coroner Dr. J. A. Pidutti found the boy had died of a fractured skull and multiple internal injuries.
Today, 50 years after the accident, let us take the time to mourn the loss of a life that was just beginning and the potential that could no longer be fulfilled due to this tragedy. St. Albert's Separate School is now gone, but the site of the heroic actions of both Gordon Lapointe and Rheal Renaud remains and is now known as the “Marguerite and Gerry Lougheed Park.” Maybe, in this anniversary year, a plaque should be erected to honour the heroism that was displayed on that tragic day.
But, for now, let us just say: Thank you and rest in peace, Gordon.
( https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-to-the-f-gordon-lapointe?modal=share&source=fundraiser+sidebar )