Tribute

Alex Davis

As a teenager, Alexander (Davidovitch) Davis set out from his home in Romania to Budapest to find work, but then Hungary fell to the Germans, and eventually, Alex lived in two concentration camps. Using his wits and his ambition, he survived terrible conditions. After the war, he met and married Alice, they emigrated to Canada, where he founded a clothing manufacturing business, and they happily and proudly raised three sons. Alex talked about being sent away by train … [2:17]

Alice Davis

Alice (Malenka) Ladowsky had a happy, secure childhood, living in an apartment over her father’s popular restaurant in Warsaw. The Nazi invasion of Poland changed Alice’s life in a dramatic and horrific way. She endured the death of family members and the loss of her home. She describes here, how her sister died: [1:54]

JIM PITBLADO

Jim is a well know leader in the Canadian business world and he is also appreciated for his philanthropic work. He is also a devoted family man,who has been married to his wife Sandra for more than fifty years, raising five fine children and  fourteen grandchildren. He asked us to sit down with both Sandra and himself to help ensure the kids would hear their best stories and a few words of advice. [1:04]

SANDRA PITBLADO

Good humoured, insightful, and full of common sense, Sandra Pitblado was just as enthusiastic about recording her stories for “the kids” as Jim. She shared memories of growing up in Winnipeg, raising her “babies” in Toronto and Montreal, and finding great satisfaction in her volunteer work with the National Ballet, the Stratford Theatre and the Hospital for Sick Children. But many of her reflections centered on her family of today. We asked her to describe her idea of a perfect day. [1:52]

Jocelyn Shaw

Jocelyn Shaw decided that it was important for her family to know a bit more about their Canadian roots by hearing the stories of three of her ancestors. Peter Pangman was a fur trader in the 1700’s, Dr. William Robertson, who helped found the McGill School of Medicine in the early 1800’s, and Sam McLaughlin, businessman and philanthropist, the president of General Motors of Canada. Here is Jocelyn, remembering her grandfather with great affection. [1:27]

A SOundtribute to mark a special anniversary:
50 years of Marriage

Saroj Ram and S.V. Anand are both Canadian physicians who grew up in India in the 1930s. In 2009, they celebrated 50 years of marriage and their daughters commissioned a Soundtribute to mark the occasion.

CLIP A

Saroj remembers meeting Anand for the first time when she was a medical student, and he was a guest lecturer in Dublin. She says they shared a love of medicine, a love of intellectual challenge, and a love for the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. [0:52]

CLIP B

Saroj loved that Anand had grown up knowing Mahatma Gandhi. Anand remembers Gandhi coming to his family home in Banaras when he was a small boy. His father was a disciple and loyal friend to Gandhi. The lessons of non-violent protest and prayer had a profound effect on Anand. [3:28]