The Communities of Eastern Kings
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Waldron

Waldron H. Leard, U.E. was born in Souris, P.E.I. He is a freelance writer and broadcaster, a historian and a storyteller. He was educated in Souris and received post-secondary education in Charlottetown, P.E.I. and Halifax, N.S. Waldron was employed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Charlottetown and Halifax. During this time he served his union on a local level in senior executive positions. On the national level Waldron served on bargaining and job evaluation committees and as a trustee. He was briefly an announcer/operator in private radio. Waldron later was a partner in the family clothing business and as a professional photographer.

He is self-taught in the development of web pages and has developed and contributed to various sites, including The Eastern Kings Meeting Place. A story, Picture Perfect, regarding this venture may be found in the links on the left. Through employment, Waldron has developed a computer based property identification system for the Eastern Kings Fire Department. He currently acts as a volunteer Tech Support Technician for the Department. Waldron has travelled extensively.

He was an award winning secretary and officer of the Souris Lions Club and served twice as Zone Chairman within District 41-N1. Waldron is a Life Member of the Lions Foundation of Canada. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Basin Head Fisheries Museum and a member of the Friends of Elmira Railway Museum. Waldron was a charter member of the Souris Christmas Parade Committee and served with this group for several years. For two years Waldron acted as a Cable Television Host for the Parade. He served as an Arena Announcer at the Halifax Metro Centre and the Eastern Kings Arena and acted as an Arena Announcer during the 1991 Canada Winter Games. Waldron was also a charter director of the Prince Edward Island Storytelling Festival. He acted on several occasions as an emcee for variety and benefit concerts, as well as wedding receptions.

Waldron has taught photography at several Island Community Schools, various 4-H Clubs and within the Duke of Edinburgh Awards program. Waldron is an ordinary member of Branch No. 3, Royal Canadian Legion in Souris and a member of the Basin Head Watershed Committee. He has written articles and spoken out on tolerance, the need for peace, for preservation of the environment and for green and cultural tourism. Waldron is a member of the Souris Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation. In 2007, he received a Prince Edward Island Environmental Award. In 2009, he was named Souris Wildlife Conservationist of the Year.

In 2010, Waldron was elected secretary of the Souris & Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation. He has served as a delegate to the P.E.I. Watershed Alliance Conferences.

Waldron has been an award-winning administrator, coach and player in soccer and fast-pitch softball. As a member of the Tack Room Cee Bees team in 1976, he is a member of the P.E.I. Softball Hall of Fame. Waldron was a co-founder of the Souris Lamplighters Soccer Club and is well-known throughout North America and Europe for his journalism, columns and articles within the sport. He was named Administrator of the Year for three consecutive years by the P.E.I. Soccer Association and was nominated five times for Sport P.E.I.'s Administrator of the Year Award. Waldron served as Deputy Commissioner of the P.E.I. High School Hockey League for two years and as Statistician of the City Softball League for one year.

He was presented with a Celebratiion '88 Coaching Medal, a McDonald's Year of the Coach Award in 1989, a Sport P.E.I. Perfection certificate and pin, a Provincial Crime Prevention Award and a World Cup '94 writing award. In November 2002, Waldron was named the first Honourary Life Member of the Souris Lamplighters Club. Several of the teams he has coached have won Island titles. Waldron has been a guest speaker at several banquets, promoting Fair Play and Saying No To Drugs.

Leard
J. Russell Leard 1904-1993
Leard
George A. Leard 1908-1967
Leard
Raymond A. Leard 1912-1981

Waldron is a one of a long line of historians, nephew of the late George A. and J. Russell Leard, antiquarians and genealogists and the oldest son of Raymond A. Leard, a historian, collector and former Mayor of Souris. He has authored a history of the Souris Lions Club, the award-winning Nothing Trivial and articles for the Island Magazine. Waldron served as editor for The Bruce Family of Red Point Prince Edward Island 1850-1999. He was the photographic editor and a contributor of the award-winning Ten Farms Become A Town. Waldron also authored a history of the Matthew & McLean business in Souris, for distribution in the Museum in 2005. He has also served as a consultant to Island and National media for their provincial and national election coverage. Waldron is considered an expert on the topic of Prince Edward Island cemeteries and has been interviewed by off Island publications. With his daughter Susan, he co-authored Burial Sites of Interesting People on Prince Edward Island.

Waldron has recorded the storytelling CD's All Things Relative and Railway Ties. He has been a contributer to C.B.C. Radio's Island Morning, Maritime Noon and Mainstreet. Waldron has served on the Editorial Board for Island publications: Home & Away, Island Pride and The Beacon newspaper. He currently has several historical works in progress and is an unpublished poet. Waldron speaks on a regular basis to classes in Island schools. He has appeared on C.B.C. Charlottetown's Compass, Community Showcase, the documentary Lighthouse Heart, On the Road Again with Wayne Rostad and Unexplained Canada with John Robert Columbo

The History Room was built on the side of his home in 1997 to house his extensive collection of historical documents collected by the Leard family and Waldron's extensive genealogical database. It is privately owned and operated and has received no government support in its construction or operation. His efforts have been recognized by his peers in his province and country with several awards, including the prestigious Orlo Jones Award for Contirbution ot Genealogy, the Award of Honour from the P.E.I. Museum & Heritage Foundation, the Mary Cornfoot Brehaut Award all in 1999, a Queens Golden Jubilee Medal in December 2002 and an I.O.D.E. Certificate of Appreciation in October 2004. In 2005 Waldron was presented with the Canada Day Recognition Award for Eastern Kings area Citizen of the Year.

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Waldron H. Leard

ekpei.ca
The History Room

Picture Perfect


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