Bill Halliday, CCH Director 1959, 1960, 1961 & 1966 passed away in October 2022.
Bill was the quintessential Y kid in the late 1940’s and 1950’s as a youth member, camper, counsellor starting at 14, program staffer, and ultimately Camp Director. After moving on from the Y to continue his education in medicine, Bill served on the Camp Committee for a number of years and faithfully attended camp reunions when he could. You will see in his obituary that he continued his service to others and his camp ways throughout his life.
This photo is from the Calgary Herald in 1954 describes how Bill (on the right) along with several other counsellors got special hair cuts on their days off.
Bill, as Camp Director, came to my school in 1960 to promote CCH and as a result I attended camp for the first time. I was grateful that I was working at camp as a counsellor in 1966 when he returned as director for a summer. When we were in the process of relocating camp and holding the Last Grand Council in 1971 at the Bowfort Lake site Bill came to visit and we sat around the old directors cabin swapping camp stories and comparing the way things were in his day versus the “enlightened” era of the early ’70s. I had dinner with Bill and Pat in Comox around 2008 and Bill was still interested in camp and still excited about its ongoing mission. On that occasion Bill suggested that we get together for a canoe trip in the future. I’m sorry that trip never came about but treasure the invitation and the memory. Bill was my camp hero, a person I endeavoured to emulate and someone who, by his example, helped me set my goals in life. He will be missed.
Gary Luthy 2023
Find following link to Bill’s Obituary:
https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/obituaries/dr-bill-halliday-frederick-william-1637576
Bill Pulleyblank writes…..
I was very sorry to read of Bill Halliday’s passing last year. Bill and my father, Bob Pulleyblank, were cousins; their mothers, Winnifred and Ruth, were sisters. We were quite close to the Halliday family, and we celebrated holidays — Christmas, Easter, Birthdays — together.
It was in 1958, when I was 11, that the family moved from Wetaskiwin to Calgary. My parents sent me to CCH that summer; I was a “Junior”. Bill Halliday was the camp director. He had his very own teepee and a two person canoe of his own. What a great summer! Camp was amazing and Bill made a point of regularly dropping by to say “Hi”. I remember Grand Counsel, the last night at camp before heading home. As Camp Director, Bill managed the event wearing a magnificent headdress provided by the Stony Indians.
That fall we had dinner with Bill’s parents and sisters (Ruth-Anne and Janet) at their house and Bill was there. He asked me how I liked CCH. I spent about 15 minutes telling him how much I loved it and giving suggestions how to make it even better. My mother finally said that I had to leave Bill alone, but he said we should just go on. Good times!
The next five years I was at CCH — two years as an Intermediate, one as a Pioneer, one as a CIT then a summer as a counselor. Bill had been succeeded as director by Ed Johnson, but we still had occasional contact. At that time he was driving a British two seater sports car – I am not sure which one – maybe an MG? Channel 4 introduced the “Time to 4”, a sports car race up the twisty road to their broadcast facility. Not surprisingly Bill was competing. My recollection is that he didn’t win, but didn’t drive off the road either.
He was a great first cousin, once removed.