Friday, April 1, 2022 9Brooklin Town Crier The Provincial Institute of Trades (now George Brown College) once expressed doubt about the suitability of a young man to enter its plumbing and heating program. Frederick Stanley Young had just returned from over three years fighting overseas with the Canadian Army in World War II in Europe. The school argued that his only practical experience had been on local farms where he'd been installing leather seals inside the cylinder of pumps to force water up. The leather would get worn out and had to be replaced. At the time, many older homes had hand pumps in their kitchens from wells. Evidently this wasn't enough to convince the school of his worth. But what Young lacked in experience he made up for in determination. Finally, in June 1946, he was enrolled in Ontario's Vocational Training program and became Brooklin's first licensed plumber. Long commute While waiting for acceptance into the program and with a family to support, Young worked for the War Assets Corporation in Toronto. Five days a week he faced the arduous daily commute from Brooklin. On weekends and holidays he worked with Martin Libby, owner of the Libby Plumbing Company in Oshawa. After graduation, he apprenticed with Libby and worked full time until March, 1950, when he and his wife established Fred Young Plumbing and Heating at 11 Price Street in Brooklin. One of Young's first jobs as an independent plumbing contractor was to help install the plumbing and heating in the newly built Memorial Arena on Winchester Road. It was he who was responsible for bringing many of Brooklin's older homes into the 20th century by replacing their outdoor toilets with indoor ones since outhouses were still being used into the late 1950s. He was well known for troubleshooting and could repair all types of residential, farm and commercial pumping systems. Young's rate started at $2 per hour but by the time he retired on January 1, 1980, It had risen to $17 per hour. Moved to Brooklin Growing up in Napanee, his job as a woodcutter only earned him 75 cents a day. Through friends, he found work with Thomas Hall on the farm at the corner of Highway 7 and Ashburn Road. It was here that he met and courted Hall's daughter, Audrey, whom he married on June 18, 1941. They continued to live on the farm until January, 1942, when they moved to 5 Vipond Road in Brooklin. Young joined the army that fall and was shipped overseas, leaving behind his wife and infant son Gary. His family moved back to the Hall farm where they lived until his return. His second son John was born a few years later. Retired Master Plumber Young was active in the community. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, branch 152, past member of the Brooklin Fair board, a Freemason with the Brooklin Masonic Lodge, and a volunteer at the Brooklin-Whitby Senior Centre. He carved ducks and jewellery as a member of the Brooklin Woodcarvers club. He was also a life-long member of the Brooklin United Church and the oldest surviving volunteer firefighter out of Fire Station #1. Young passed away on October 11, 2006, at the age of 91, and Audrey in 2011. Brooklin's First Licensed Plumber By Jennifer Hudgins Resiliency and survival are associated with victims of violence. But what is it like to be married to someone who has survived an attempted murder, a brutal beating and sexual assault? How does a caregiver cope with the trauma? Join Rob Tardik and his wife Kimberley Black for lunch and a candid discussion addressing rarely asked questions. They will share the lessons they learned while coping with a traumatic experience and provide strategies transferable to others navigating life's challenges. Prepare yourself for an extremely candid and emotionally challenged discussion. The language and themes will be sensitive. Wednesday, April 13, 2022 11:30 am - 2 pm Deer Creek Golf & Banquet Facility 2700 Audley Road North Ajax, ON L1Z 1T7 Chamber of Commerce members: $60 each Non-members: $75 each (ticket includes lunch) Register online at Whitby Chamber of Commerce Events https://www.whitbychamber. org/attend-events/event-cale ndar/#id=21061&cid=1445&w id=701&type=Cal (presented by Bell Let's Talk) For more info, contact Susanne Gagnon (905) 668-4506 Ext 224 Mental Health Luncheon: A Candid Discussion