Stories
50th Anniversary
- Celebrate WJ'55 — The original proposal for the celebration event
- Anniversary Emblems — The crest and poster for the Anniversary along side the 1955 originals
- Remembering the 8th World Scout Jamboree 1955 — Background to the 50th Anniversary Celebrations
- WJ'55 Anniversary Song — Sung to the tune of "When I'm Sixty-four" by the Beatles.
- The Niagara Floral Clock — The famous Niagara Floral Clock has been specially planted with Scouting symbols for the anniversary, just as it was in 1955.
- Reunion for Scouts from 50 years ago — Read this article from the Belfast Telegraph.
- Japanese Contingent First to Celebrate 50th Anniversary — On May 28-30, 2005, three Jamboree participants from Japan visited the Jamboree site.
- WJ'55 in Hansard — The Honourable Rob Nicholson, MP for Niagara Falls, spoke about the WJ'55 50th Anniversary in the House of Commons of Canada on June 16, 2005
- Lord Mayor, Councillors, Ladies, and Gentlemen... — On June 13, 2005, WJ'55 attendee and 50th Anniversary Committee member Tony Roberts addressed Niagara-on-the-Lake town council.
- Anniversary Message from Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada
- Anniversary Message from Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario
- Proclamation by the Lord Mayor — Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Gary Burroughs, made the following proclamation in support of the WJ'55 Anniversary celebrations.
- Ex-Scouts relive memories of 1955 Jamboree — This article appeared in the St. Catharines Standard in June, 2005
- Niagara Scouts mark milestone — This article appeared in the Niagara Falls Review on July 29, 2005
- Anniversary Sign in Niagara-on-the-Lake — In the weeks leading up to and during the 50th Anniversary celebrations, this sign graced a prominent municipal rock garden located on the thoroughfare leading to the Old Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Thanks to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Lord Mayor's Keynote — At the 50th Anniversary banquet on Saturday, September 17, 2005, the Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Gary Burroughs, gave this keynote address
- 55 years later, two jamboree friends meet — In 2010, jamboree friends Claude Delisle from Montréal, Québec and Jonas Lowa Kouasi from the Ivory Coast had a reunion in Montréal
1955 Jamboree
- Israel Valderama biked from Colombia
- WJ'55 Commemmorative Mug — Fire-King made a commemorative mug for WJ'55.
- By Jeep from Brazil: Operation Pineapple — Three Scouts from Brazil drove a CJ-3B jeep from their home, to the Jamboree, to Alaska, and home again.
- Food at WJ'55 — Here is a newspaper article about the amount of food consumed at the jamboree
- Kouassi Lowa Jonas — Here is an email and photos from a member of the French Contingent to WJ'55, a Scout from the Ivory Coast
- From Nova Scotia to the Jamboree — This is the story of Henry Beer who travelled along with the almost 500 other boys from Nova Scotia to the Jamboree in Ontario.
- Hitch-Hiking to WJ'55 — Doug Black's account of his trip from Pennsylvania
- A Very Special Dollar Bill — Kept safe from the First World War, this Canadian dollar is spent at last
- An Amazing Machine — Who would have thought that getting a drink of Coke could be so easy?
- Donald Brumby's Photos — Queen's Scout Donald Brumby visited the WJ'55 site for one day during the Jamboree and took these photos
- From Jamaica to the Jamboree — Peter Vaculik represented Jamaica at WJ'55 and wrote this report for the 1955 Priory High School Yearbook
- VIEW-MASTER Reels of the Jamboree — VIEW-MASTER produced 21 three-dimensional images of WJ'55
- Jamboree Postal Issues — Canada Post produced a commemorative stamp, cover, and cancels for WJ'55
- We Extend Our Grateful Thanks — Many individuals and groups contributed to WJ'55
- New Horizons: A Jamboree Marching Song
- Coleraine Lad Gives His Impressions — After returning to Northern Ireland after WJ'55, Bill Connor wrote this article for the Coleraine Chronicle.
- Japanese Photos — Following WJ'55, the members of the Japanese contingent formed the Hudson Bay Club, named after their subcamp at the Jamboree. Here are some of their photos from the Jamboree.
- Les Brown Addresses Rotarians in Smiths Falls, Ontario — On October 14, 1955, WJ'55 attendee Leslie H. Brown, Queen's Scout, 3rd United Church Scout Troop, gave this address to the Smiths Falls Rotary Club.
- Les Brown's Photos — A photo of Les Brown plus his WJ'55 identification card and acceptance letter.
- 15th World Scout Conference — The 15th World Scout Conference was held in conjunction with WJ'55. Here is their group photo
- From Winnipeg to the Jamboree — Read the reminiscences of Jim Nichols, First Class Scout, 70th Norwood Scout Group, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- WJ'55 Colour Poster — This poster was used to advertise the Jamboree
- Greetings from India — A photo and memories from WJ'55 participant Amar Nath Dhawan.
- Cuban Contingent Memories of Jose Artiles — Jose Artiles remembers cold nights, daylight late into the evening, interesting food, and plenty of the Scouting spirit
- Jamboree Journal — This is the August 18, 1955 edition of the Jamboree Journal, the newspaper of WJ'55
- Bert Wilson's Story — The Jamboree Story by T. A. (Bert) Wilson, Portadown District, Northern Ireland, December 1955
- Frank Woodhead's Photos — Frank Woodhead took these photos of the parade at WJ'55.
- François Chausson — Photos by/of François Chausson at WJ'55. Courtesy of his son, Cedric Chausson.
- Brian MacDonald receives his Queen's Scout Award from the Chief Scout of Scotland
- Jamboree photos by Shore and Willey (off-site): A collection of photos by the official jamboree photographers hosted by the Niagara Public Library
- George Barclay's souvenirs
- In memory of Geoffrey Forshaw — UK Queen's Scout was killed in an accident shortly after returning from the jamboree
- Coleraine Remembered — WJ'55 attendee and 50th Anniversary Committee member Bill Connor has published a novel about his hometown in Northern Ireland.
Do you have a story or remembrance from or about WJ'55? Do you have photos you would like to share? Please send us an email. We would love to hear from you.
