Early Years 1924-1943

Keith was born August 14, 1924 in West Royalty, Prince Edward Island. He lived with his parents, Vina and Cyrus Pickard, and his grandparents, Carrie and George. They owned a 30-acre farm in West Royalty situated between the Beach Grove Road and Capitol Drive. 

“The farmhouse was white with green trim and had a Mansford roof,” recalled neighbour Leigh Burke, “and they kept it just spotless.” He also added, “The vegetable garden was huge and Vina had a flower garden that would knock you out.”  

Although very small, the farm had the advantage of being close to Charlottetown and the family income depended on selling produce, flowers, baked goods, eggs and poultry.

Cyrus won first prize for a pair of fowl, 2 dozen eggs and a cockerel he entered in the 1929 Poultry Show and this is our earliest photo of Keith – proudly holding the  winner. The family raised chickens and grew a wide variety of vegetables and flowers for the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market,  where Vina had many loyal customers.

Both Vina and Carrie baked and made preserves for sale and often won prizes at the Provincial Exhibition. Keith’s two sisters, Doris and Marjorie, were added to the family in 1926 and 1936. 

Like many Islanders, their existence depended on sacrifice, hard work, creative use of all resources, ingenuity and filling the needs of the marketplace. They always tried new varieties of seeds and plants and carefully observed what grew well. Each family member held responsibilities. Keith’s children remember his  stories of balancing crates of eggs on the handlebars of his bicycle as he delivered them to grocery stores in Charlottetown, bumping along on roads that were neither smooth nor paved. He was interested in plants and flowers and helped a neighbor, Percy Burke, who grew bedding plants and a huge variety of annual flowers.

The 1930s were exciting days for aviation and the first airstrip and airport on PEI were on the Upton Farm property, previously owned by Dr. J.S. and Mrs. Louise Jenkins. As a child he walked to West Royalty School with his sister, Doris, and neighbors, Leigh and Thelma Burke. Being in close proximity to the Upton Airport, they often saw airplanes overhead and when they heard the sound of engines, they raced outside to catch sight of the flying machines. As children, their parents also fostered a love of the outdoors. They skated on Gates’ Pond in winter and fished there in summer. Keith always enjoyed mathematics and found this subject much more interesting than English or history. Both his father and grandfather were carpenters. When a bureau, table or shelf was needed, it was built and made to measure the space it would occupy. Vina and Carrie were excellent seamstresses and did all types of handwork, developing patterns, combining colours and textures. From this foundation of creativity, Keith developed an appreciation of colour, form and purpose.

His next step in education was confirmed in the August 5, 1939 edition of The Charlottetown Guardian with the release of the Prince of Wales College Matriculation Entrance Exam Results. Keith passed the exam and received the Charlottetown Rotary Prize for Highest Standing in Rural Science at 83%. At the bottom of the report it mentioned “Students who in this examination have done well in Arithmetic will be offered in lieu of this subject, a course in Mechanical Drawing at a cost for equipment not exceeding $8.00”.  As a rural student living on a small farm and a father preparing to answer the call to serve in an impending war, this course would play a major role in Keith’s future.

1939-43 was a time of many changes for the family. Having served in the 105th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force between 1916 and 1919, Cyrus returned to active duty as soon as World War II was declared.  Keith pursued his studies at Prince of Wales College, which left little time for the family farm. By 1940, circumstances had changed. Vina decided to leave the farm, and rented a large property at 201 Prince Street in Charlottetown, which she  operated as a boarding house. At the age of 37, Vina had the responsibility of providing for her mother Carrie aged 76, Keith aged 15, Doris aged 13 and Marjorie aged 3.

Read more about Keith's Military Service 1943-45