"Featured Alumni"
Master Corporal Philip Barclay
 |
Philip Barclay started Earl Grey School as a five year old in one of the first kindergarten classes in 1964. Phil graduated from Earl Grey in 1975.
Philip's favourite teacher at Earl Grey was Mrs. Mason who taught grade one. Phil recalled that Mrs. Mason was a very gentle person who enjoyed teaching her students songs in French. An outdoor education trip to Cape Breton Island in his grade nine year stands out as one of Philip's fondest memories of Earl Grey School. Another of Phil's favourite teachers at Earl Grey was Mr. Prestayko who taught Math in the junior high section and who could usually be seen carrying a large wooden protractor. One of the funniest incidents Phil could recall was the time a former classmate, Casey Jones, was caught on the railroad tracks by the CN police. When the CN police demanded to know his name, poor Casey had a difficult time convincing them that his name really was Casey Jones.
After his grade nine graduation, Philip went on to Kelvin High School, graduating in 1978. Upon leaving high school, Philip was employed by Boeing of Canada as a technican in the assembly department. Several of Philip's co-workers at Boeing were retired military men who regaled him with stories of life in the military, finally convincing him that indeed there could be "no life like it!" In 1980 Phil joined the Canadian Airforce and left for basic training in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia.
Basic training was followed by contact training in Trenton, Ontario and trade school in Borden, Ontario. In 1981, Philip was posted to Cold Lake, Alberta at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment as an aviation technician. Here, Phil had the opportunity to work with the F-18 program, testing the fighter jets and their weapon systems.
In 1987, Phil was posted to Baden-Sollingen, West Germany where he would serve with the Nighthawk Tactical Squadron (F-18's), the #1 Air Maintenance Squadron, and finally with the Technical Control Centre. After a six year stint in Germany, Phil was posted to Edmonton, Alberta with the 435 Squadron. (Search and Rescue, Air-to-Air Refuelling, and Tacticle Airlift) The 435 Squadron was moved to Winnipeg in 1994 and Phil was once again back where he started, in Winnipeg. In March of 1997, the 435 Squadron was posted to Kuwait as part of the NATO task force. Fortunately, the squadron saw no real action and all arrived safely back in Winnipeg in May. While in Kuwait, Phil had the opportunity to work along side members of the Australian airforce, and the opportunity to learn first hand what life in the Middle East is really like.
Master Corporal Barclay has been in the military for nineteen years and has travelled extensively visiting Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Kuwait, Greenland, Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and many parts of the United States and Canada. During his military career he has indeed been able to fulfill his boyhood dreams of travel and adventure. If you were to ask him, he would no doubt tell you that his former co-workers were right...."there is no life like it!"
On a final note, Phil was married in 1986 to Carol Mykytyn who hails from Rainy River, Ontario. They have two children; Drew who is six years old, and Trevor who is four. They also have a family pet, an American Spaniel named Buster, who enjoys taking them for very, very long walks.
Philip....Thank you for arranging the tour for our grade 7 & 8 co-ed class, and for letting us feature you on our website!