The Manning Depot in Toronto - Part 2 - Video Gallery

And we cleaned out the stables, the stalls in the horse barns, and we did this for, oh I forget, two or three weeks, until they were all cleaned out, scrubbed, and white-washed, and we set up double bunks in the horse barns, and I recall at this time the food was terrible cause it was catered by some fella who didn't care. I remember we got a lot of prunes for breakfast. We had an occasion one time, us Saskatoon chaps decided to go to a dance Saturday night in Toronto. So we climbed on a street car and I sat beside the windows, there was an empty chair beside me, and that fellow came and sat beside me, we had a little conversation. I said, "I just newly arrived here in the air force, I'm just a recruit" And he says, "Oh, and where did you come from?" I said, "Saskatchewan." He says, "I thought so." Then of course, we had further embarrassment, at the dance the girls wouldn't dance with us cause we smelt of the horse barns. Anyway, as soon as we finished the horse barns, we were all issued uniforms, and then we went up to St. Thomas to do our training.

Mr. Romanow talks about his experiences at the CNE Manning Depot.

Joseph Romanow

Mr. Romanow was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1921, to parents who immigrated to Canada in 1911. Mr. Romanow grew up in a Ukranian community and he learned to speak English from his playmates. He joined the Air Force from a youth group, was a mechanic for two years and then trained in Canada and England. He was able to fly in India and Europe, flying many different types of planes. After his university education he returned to the Air Force and worked with the Avro Arrow team.