The World Famous, Triple Prize Winning...Lady Godiva Memorial "Bnad"

"During the Second World War there was a munitions plant at Ajax; in fact the plant pretty well was Ajax. After war ended, the University of Toronto used the shell-filling plant for a few years for teaching Engineering, to ease the sudden post-war increase in enrollment, and the barracks served as residences for Engineering students. In the fall of 1948, Engineering returned to the St. George campus and during the 1949-50 Skule™ year the now world-famous Lady Godiva Memorial "Bnad" came into existence.

A. J. Paul La Prairie (5T0) served six years overseas with the Irish Regiment of Canada, and on spending two years taking classes at Ajax among many other veterans, felt a 'regimental' band was in order. Being the Direktor of Kultural Aktivities, he undertook the founding of the "Bnad." Through his contacts in the Irish Regiment he acquired the necessary accouterments of any self-respecting world-famous band: scrounging Fort York and University Avenue Armouries and the Sally Ann at Church and King Streets, he turned up a collection of Irish Regiment tunics, some pith helmets, six dragoon's brass helmets, a drummer's leopard skin, two tenor snare drums and most important, a bass drum with one head...During the second practice it was discovered that La Prairie could not read music, and he was demoted (or promoted perhaps) to bass drummer..."

From A Century of Skill and Vigour, by Barry G. Levine (8T4)

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