Ray Dube
Ray Dube, 1967 (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Ray Dube caught the DC3 in Fort Smith, NT and landed in Yellowknife to attend Sir John Franklin High School in 1964. He boarded at Akaitcho Hall, joined the school music program and took up the Bb tenor saxophone. Ray started to play for dances at Akaitcho Hall and in town at the Elks Club with his band, “The Nomads”. The band line up changed over the years and in 1967, they auditioned for an opportunity to perform on the Centennial Barge. The band scored the gig, changed their name to “The Centennaires”, bought some new instruments and clothes and even wrote their final exams early to make it to the launching in late June of 1967.
Ray remembers those years at Akaitcho and the Centennial Barge trip as some of the best times of his life. His recollection after 55 years is amazing as he introduces us to some of the characters on board the barge and the highlights from their community visits down the Dehcho River that summer.
‘The Centennaires’ L-R: Lawrence Thrasher, Ben Matijone, Eddie Bazie, Ray Dube, Tom Hudson, Archie Plamondin, David Evalik. Yellowknife, 1967. (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Centennial barge flotilla at dock, 1967, location unknown (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Gina Blondin & the barge engineer (name unknown) on Centennial barge ferris wheel, location unknown,1967. (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Arctic Red River welcome Centennial barge, 1967 (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Archie Plamondin steadies the music equipment being hauled by caterpillar and trailer, Fort Good Hope, NT, 1967 (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
‘The Centennaires’ perform on barge roof. L-R: Ray Dube, Eddie Bazie, David Evalik, Tom Hudson, Archie Plamondin, Lawrence Thrasher. Inuvik, NT, 1967. (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Inuvik welcome flotilla, 1967 Inuvik, NT, (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Group photo: L-R Ray Dube, Eddie Bazie, Archie Plamondin, Lesley Wesley, David Evalik, Gina Blondin, Lawrence Thrasher, Melody Alden (cook), Tom Hudson, Andy Steen, Ted Wesley. 1967 Hay River, NT (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Group photo: L-R: Ray Dube, Eddie Bazie, Archie Plamondin, Lesley Wesley, David Evalik, Gina Blondin, Lawrence Thrasher, Melody Alden (cook), Tom Hudson, Andy Steen, Ted Wesley. 1967 Hay River, NT (photo courtesy Ray Dube)
Centennial presentation at Yellowknife Town Hall. L-, Mayor Chet Wilkinson, Gina Blondin-Pride, Jim Whelley beside model of Mackenzie River Centennial Barge. (NWT Archives/©YK Photo/N-2019-001-0425)