Page 22 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 153

22 Issue #153 October 2025 www.sportsenergynews.com

Harv’ s Diner SPORTS Continued from page 21 for everything and everything in its place.
Harv’s Diner
There were pockets for lenses, others
Mill during the summers of 1948 and
for filters, new film and used film. When
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THE BREAKFAST PLACE WORD ‘49. Vernon’s education at Queens was the Cornwall Royals were playing in the
T
completely paid for by Veterans Affairs and
QMJHL, there were often photographers
brings you SEARCH his graduating class in June of 1950 was and reporters covering their teams. Wendy
the final one sponsored by that program.
mentioned that when the Quebec Ramparts
NHL FORWARDS Following graduation Vernon accepted a were in town it was standing room only,
position at the Cotton Mill. In October of
I W I N G E R T R C Y T D E H L E R S E T 1950 Hilda and Vernon were married. as everyone wanted to see Guy Lafleur.
One photographer in particular stood out,
R E L E E H W B L Q O R E E K R G V R H G “There were a lot of letters written he was from Le Journal de Montreal, and
B V O L U D A R X U E N J M A A A K A C R during those four years that Dad attended usually stood nearby, sometimes offering
Queens,” Wendy stated, “Mom kept every Wendy some tips on different combinations
D N U L N A R G N D A J N V N K U U N B R
letter that he sent, and I now have them in of lens and filter. “He didn’t speak much
R E L L E K K X N E N S O O E E D H T D M this book;” as she opened a thick book of English, and we didn’t speak much French,
L P L L A H U A K O A R S E R L R C A G A letters, each one neatly protected in a plastic but we were able to communicate, and we
E A B F X O L P S G A L T E E L E A N C R sheath. In 1954, when it became apparent could see the difference in the photos from
to Vernon that the future of Cornwall those tips.” During the period that Vernon
Z V O Y R Y B N O C R W N K H L A K E K N
Cotton Mill was looking bleak, he moved and Wendy were doing the Royals photos,
T E L I N N I K E F O Z X I F C U T N K E
over to the Howard Smith Papermill as the team won three Memorial Cups, which
N L G P F K S K P V H L T X R R R O M U R an electrical engineer. After spending the involved taking photos at the celebration
E S O H T E V A L O A U T R E A S A S H U next thirty-three years there, Vernon retired following the championship game as well
U K J A D L S H S R T D B K A H N P M C P as the Electrical Superintendent at Domtar as the parades.
in 1987. During the summers when Vernon
G I S N E T O K V E Z A C E I W O A P L A Through the late ‘60’s and the ‘70’s
was home from Queens, he, and along with
O K A S R P I I N H J U R E R D H Y P A C Vernon and Wendy did a considerable
his sister, Jean, became very interested amount of photography for the local
B L S N K N D T L C Z R T A W D E C G V I in photography; something that carried lacrosse teams, often travelling to
R E A I N S A A V U V D E W S O E E S O O over for the rest of his life. Domtar had Morrisburg, Akwesasne, and various
K K N E S T I A K K Z S D S E E T A P K R their own hockey league as well as a team locations in Quebec.
playing fastball in the Industrial League at
V S R O L N N I K H C E V O E N N P U S E
the King George Park. Having been a very Photography began to change, with
T N N Z E W B L U E L I N E L O T K Z K T good softball and lacrosse player growing colored photos becoming more prevalent,
E G R E B S R O F D W B E N N Z B Y O D T up, sports photography was a natural fit which considerably increased the cost
R W H T I M S D N A H C R A M S T O N E Y for Vernon. Having taken some chemistry of developing. With Wendy now being
courses at Queens, he started to develop employed full-time and no longer having
ARVIDSSON HOPKINS NEAL SCHWARTZ the flexibility to attend as many sporting
his own photos with Wendy assisting him.
ATKINSON HUBERDEAU NYLANDER SKINNER “This all came about when some photos events as possible, Vernon eventually
BENN KANE OSHIE SMITH that he had taken on my Brownie trip were stopped taking photos. He gave his cameras
BLUELINE KELLER OVECHKIN STONE lost and my dad decided that he would do and equipment away, donating it to students
BOESER KESSEL
PACIORETTY his own developing. My parents came to that had an interest in photography.
CONNOR KOVACHUK TARASENKO
PANARIN an agreement where from Friday night
EHLERS KUCHEROV TKACHUK Vernon did stay faithful to the Cornwall
PASTRNAK to Sunday night our laundry room would sports scene; when the Massena Americans
FORSBERG LAINE TWENTY
PAVELSKI become a darkroom,” Wendy recalled. “I
GAUDREAU LANDESKOG VORACEK became the Cornwall Colts in 1992, he
SPEED helped him with this all through school. I became one of the very first season ticket
GIROUX LEE
RADULOV WHEELER would sell the 3x4 inch ones for a dime and holders. Wendy mentioned that during
GRANLUND MARCHAND
GUENTZEL MARCHESSAULT RAKELL WINGER the 5x7 inch pics for a quarter. I’ve talked those years that he attended Colt games
HALL MARNER RANTANEN ZUCKER with some of those kids who still have those that Vernon would sit near the same spot
photos today.” All revenue generated from
Harv’s Diner the sale of photos went into purchasing the Royals’ photos.
Harv’
s Diner
where he stood to take the Cornwall
next set of supplies; paper and chemicals.
Reflecting on those years that she and

and a few others, formed the Cornwall her dad spent photographing numerous

“Gaby Leger, Alex Mullin, Jack Haines,
Photographic Club,” Wendy recalled. sports at locations across Eastern Ontario
and Western Quebec, Wendy stated that,
“Gaby introduced Dad to someone in “Little did we realize the significance of
619 Pitt Street, Cornwall Royals office and that’s how he became the what we were doing at that time. Little
‘unofficial photographer’ for the team.” did we realize how important this would

Wendy was the ‘equipment girl’ with a
become in maintaining such an important
bag that had many pockets with a place part of Cornwall Sports history.”