Ernest never fought, but thought his children should be tough. Some times he would give treats to the child who could fight the best. This led to many fights in the Durelle home between Yvon and his brothers and sisters. Although some of Yvon’s brothers were older and stronger, nobody could beat him.

It was left up to Yvon’s mother, Olida, to put a stop to these actions. She was a big woman who worked hard all her life. For example, she made all the clothes for her children. Olida didn’t believe in this fighting within the family. Nearly every day, Yvon would get a beating from his mother for fighting. Yet Yvon loved his mother very deeply. When she died in the spring of 1957 from a lung sickness, Yvon took her death very hard.

Yvon would have to be called a bad-acting child in his young years. One day, his brother was nearly hanged by Yvon while they were playing a make-believe game. At school, he was always fighting. He would have to be kept five minutes after school so the other children could run home first. He didn’t like school and never got along well with his teachers. In fact, when he was in Grade six, he beat up his sixty-five year old teacher. Later, he felt very sorry for what he had done. That did it! Yvon was no longer permitted to return to school.

What was Yvon to do now? He was still only eleven years old. Things got even harder for the family when his father became very sick. Yvon and his older brother, Ernie, began to use the boat to’ fish in the summer. In the winter, they went to work cutting wood. They got paid very little for this work, but the family needed the money. Yvon also worked part-time in his father’s shop. This is where he learned to speak English.

These stories of Yvon as a child might give you the wrong idea of what he was like. He could be a very bad-acting person. But his friends and family called him “Doux.” This is a French word meaning kind or gentle. There are many examples that show his kindness. He often helped friends who were having money problems. He never beat any of his own four children, and he loved his dog very much. The dog would often help Yvon with his roadwork by running beside him. When the dog got too old and had to be destroyed, Yvon cried for days. He still thinks of his dog even though many years have passed.

The 1940’s saw Yvon’s older brothers join the army and go to war in Europe. Yvon was too young, so he stayed home and worked for the family. Unlike today when you will find pretty homes and nice stores in Baie Ste. Anne, most of the buildings then were poorly made. There was little money and even less to do for a young man like Yvon.