Inductions

Léo Poulin

Léo Poulin was born in Orono, Maine. He began his musical career at the age of 10, in 1908, as a trumpeter.

He settled in Edmundston in 1930 to teach music at the Cormier’s School, Notre-Dame School, and Mgr-W.-J.-Conway Academy. In 1931, the school board of the time proposed to him to take over the band of the city of Edmundston: «The Edmundston Band» [Harmonie Edmundston] which was directed by Sydney Laporte since about 1915. Léo Poulin doubled the number of participants and self-funded this fanfare by making performances.

He went on to accomplish one of the greatest achievements of his career as a 40-year-old band director by creating “The Edmundston All-Girls Band”, which would be the first girls’ marching band in Canada in 1938. This band won a contest that allowed it to play for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their time in Fredericton in 1939.

He remained invested in his profession as a music teacher and became music director of the Edmundston schools in 1951. He revised the music books used by all the schools in the province and made sure that the music was on the final exams.

While the bands will be in full swing and the music classes will be followed closely by motivated students, Mr. Poulin will always find time to perform as a trumpet player and organize «Jam sessions» with other musicians to make the inhabitants move the city.

He celebrated his retirement, 60 years of life, and 27 years of career in Edmundston on February 6, 1958. The disease took over and he died in Edmundston on November 20, 1959, of bone cancer at 61. The Salle Léo-Poulin was created in 1978 in honor of all that he had undertaken to increase the musical visibility of the city of Edmundston, its benevolence in teaching and its dedication to the community of Edmundston.