Uh, one time I did deserve to get a strap, I got a terrible one where another kid and I had a fist fight in the school yard in recess, and uh, well you- know they have a teacher was monitor, so he grabbed the both of us, and put us up in front of his class, I guess to embarrass us and give his class entertainment, so he gave both of us strap, one after the other back and forth, and ho- that was the worst beating I ever had in my life ... I was so sore, terrible beating. Well, that was the worst one I had. But, once I got into high-school I never had the strap again.

Interviewer: So did you ah- now did you change your parenting methods though compared to your parents or? Speaker: Yeah I- I guess. I didn't- used the hand a few times but didn't have the strap. There's a couple of- of children that needed to be tuned in.

I-mean the- the things now its just so tight but I- I think that back then there was more discipline like family discipline than there is now. ... you-know my dad had a- a strap about so wide and so long and I had it a few times. I don't think it really did all that much damage so.

Speaker: I can remember getting in real kaka one day for throwing snowballs at the girls across the line. ... Interviewer: So how bad was the kaka? Speaker: Oh not bad, I ah- I never did get the strap. This was back in the strap days. ... I went to school in the strap days, I never got the strap so I wasn't that bad a guy really. (laughs) I never got the strap ...

... I can remember her taking me in to the principal, ... and I can remember sitting there waiting, like I was sure I was gonna get the strap. ... I was scared. 'Cause I was- I was small. I ca-- can't remember what grade it was. But I was scared. I I figured I was gonna get 'er. And I- I don't remember a bit what he said to me or if he said anything to me or- or-what. All I kn-- all I remember is that I did not get the strap.

Interviewer: Did you think you were going to be sent home? Speaker: No I don't think so, no. I thought the strap was the thing (laughs). ... But I never did get the strap, nope. And I spent nine years there, at Queen-Alex from kindergarten right through grade-eight and I never- no I never had the strap.

Speaker: Mom probably woulda had a little bit to say. ... She was the disciplinarian. ... I got the sorta strap from her. ... I can remember getting a- a- a little like- we'd would- she'd make us go out and pick a- a- a little ... stick off the maple-tree, and we'd get the whack- we'd get whacked over our bare bums with that. Ah- or the wooden-spoon.

I 'member in- like when I went to Otomby-Valley-School, so that was about grade-six or so, but there was kids getting the strap but I never did. Yeah. Um but they'd take- they'd um have to go to the principal's office and then they'd say, "I got the strap." or-something. Yeah

A girl and I were doing the boards and she touched this drawing in Miss-Hayward's room, with wet hands and Miss-Hayward noticed it, more-or-less that I did it, and I said, "No I didn't do it." And the other girl, "Oh yes she did." And I didn't but- and I also got the strap.

Speaker: Oh I got in trouble at King-George though. I threw a snowball and hit a w-- I was supposed to hit a person but I hit the window and broke the window. Interviewer: Oh good move Lee! Speaker: Yeah and that's when they gave you the strap. I remember that. Interviewer: Oh so you got it? You got the strap. ... Cross my hands, you have to hold it out like this. Interviewer: How many times? Speaker: I only got three times.

You know what? My husband talks about getting the strap, but that was at a different school, but I mean, I don't really remember- I remember it talked about. To say I knew somebody that got it, w-- when I was going to school, no. But my husband is the same age and went to a different school and he said he got the strap.

We- you-know I- I heard of, you-know more typically boys being sent to the office for the afternoon and maybe their parents being called but never anybody coming back saying I got the strap.

... nobody ever, ever, ever answered back a teacher in the classes I was in. I don't ever remember anybody- actually, we got straps though too, when we were in public-school. I got the strap from that principal because um he wasn't in the classroom yet, so I was turned around talking to my friend behind me and we weren't supposed to talk ... We were supposed to stay quiet and do our work. But of-course, I like to talk, so I would talk to my friend and I got the strap for-Pete's-sakes. I thought, "Heavenly, I didn't do anything wrong!" I didn't ah- I never told my parents I got the strap, because if I had gone home and said I got the strap for talking, I'd probably get another one at home. So I just stayed quiet.

But those days, any little thing you did wrong in public-school, you had to go to the principal and he'd give you about three smacks on each hand with that crazy strap of his. Your- your hands were pretty red when you came out of there. Could you imagine doing that now? ... That would not go over very well. I don't think you'd get a kid in there to get a strap anyway. They wouldn't allow it- they wouldn't even go in the office but no.

And I remember taking out of my desk, and saying, "What is this?" And she gave me the strap for that. Um in grade-four, it was for talking.

Oh, I remember ah with my natural dad ah he was more into the corporal-punishment-type stuff. ... So you ended up with a strap or- I remember ah (inc) the one incident I remember is I came in having done something and ah ah I ducked, because you get the little cuff on the back of the head, you-know. ... And ah I ducked. And I didn't get the cuff on the head, I got the boot.

Well your- things were a little more strict then, yeah. And you can get the strap at school- ... I don't think they do that anymore.

Interviewer: Did you ever get the strap? Speaker: I got the strap and then when I got home I got the strap. ... So I was sort of like a little more incentive not to get in something to get the strap again.

Well me I ended up ah, getting strap ... Yeah I went in ah- I was one of- one of the ones that got the strap and uh, I went home and I told my mother about it. And my mother had called up the school and I guess she blasted them but damage was already done ...

At that time, there were all nuns teaching us. ... And ah, they were cross. They could give you the strap. When you got it, you deserved it but- ... You got it pretty good.