Charles (Bud) Labranche
Almost from the time he could walk, Bud LaBranche wanted to write. And write he did, about people in general and sport in particular. Using the nom de plume of Joe Narf, he covered just about everything in his columns in The Review, a weekly newspaper of the time.
Bud was born in Western Canada, moved to the Province of Quebec at age two, and remained there until entering the navy during World War II. He came to Peterborough in 1945, joining his father and brother at the family’s weekly newspaper, and quickly settled into the community. He not only wrote about sports, he was an active executive, serving on the board of the football Orfuns and later, he was one of a group who launched a campaign which resulted in construction of the Civic Arena in 1949. Four years later, Bud began a series of articles endeavouring to awaken interest in erection of a Memorial Centre. After overcoming numerous obstacles – both location and political – Peterborough Memorial Centre opened Dec. 14, 1956.
Bud retired in 1979, but the legacy of his work lingers on. He died in 1994.
Year Inducted:
1980
Status:
Deceased
Almost from the time he could walk, Bud LaBranche wanted to write. And write he did, about people in general and sport in particular. Using the nom de plume of Joe Narf, he covered just about everything in his columns in The Review, a weekly newspaper of the time.
Bud was born in Western Canada, moved to the Province of Quebec at age two, and remained there until entering the navy during World War II. He came to Peterborough in 1945, joining his father and brother at the family’s weekly newspaper, and quickly settled into the community. He not only wrote about sports, he was an active executive, serving on the board of the football Orfuns and later, he was one of a group who launched a campaign which resulted in construction of the Civic Arena in 1949. Four years later, Bud began a series of articles endeavouring to awaken interest in erection of a Memorial Centre. After overcoming numerous obstacles – both location and political – Peterborough Memorial Centre opened Dec. 14, 1956.
Bud retired in 1979, but the legacy of his work lingers on. He died in 1994.