Cliff Scott was born March 4, 1926 in Toronto.  He grew up against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the early years of the war itself, when he attended Humberside Collegiate in the city’s west end.  Cliff’s early life was marked by the death of his father, a Toronto police officer, while Cliff was still in school; he was unable to get his matriculation, and he went to work to help support the family.  In the meantime, the war progressed, and Cliff was called to duty in 1944. He trained as an anti-aircraft gunner, but the war came to its end before he could be sent overseas. Cliff returned to southern Ontario, where he completed his education and married, and he and his new wife fell into the rhythms of postwar Canadian life.

Cliff was interviewed for this project by Scott Masters, who visited Cliff in his home in St. Catharines.  We thank the Memory Project for their part in facilitating this meeting.