‘A guardian angel’: Sun Youth co-founder Sid Stevens dies at age 85, community in mourning

Sun Youth co-founder Sid Stevens died Aug. 17, surrounded by his loved ones.

“A towering figure in Montreal’s culture of solidarity, Sid dedicated more than 70 years to helping the most vulnerable, leaving behind an invaluable legacy,” said Sun Youth in a press release.

Born in 1940 in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood, Stevens founded, along with Earl De La Perralle, a sports and recreation club in 1954 that would grow into Sun Youth.

He started in 1954, at the age of 13, selling handwritten newspapers for two cents each and using the funds raised to buy sports equipment and organize activities for children.

“Under his leadership, the organization became a community pillar, providing food, clothing, financial assistance, and youth programs to some 30,000 Montrealers each year. A proud Montrealer who believed in an inclusive and dynamic city, he was elected to city council in 1978 and distinguished himself through his pragmatic and humane approach to community issues,” explained Sun Youth.

Stevens was “an innovator and visionary,” and he helped create Quebec’s first food bank, launched essential services such as home delivery for people with reduced mobility, and led emergency relief efforts during major disasters.

In 1978, Stevens was elected to Montreal’s city council, where he quickly gained a reputation for his down-to-earth approach to community issues. H

In the 1970s, as arson-related fires were multiplying in the area, Stevens and the Sun Youth group began to assist an ever-growing number of fire victims. They even went so far as to “hijack” city buses to provide temporary shelter for those affected.

In a press release, Federation CJA says they, along with Montreal’s Jewish community, are saddened by Stevens’ passing.

“For more than seven decades, Sid Stevens embodied the values of compassion, dignity, and inclusivity. His work through Sun Youth provided critical support to vulnerable populations across the city, including members of the Jewish community. His legacy is one of unwavering commitment to helping others, regardless of background or circumstance.”

‘’Sid remained committed to Sun Youth throughout his life. His only wish was to make a difference, and he did so profoundly and lastingly. Having had the privilege of working alongside him for more than five decades, I can say without hesitation that he left his mark on our organization and our community. Thousands of Montrealers owe him much more than services: they owe him hope, comfort, and a chance to get back on their feet. His dedication was unwavering, his humanity inspiring. We will miss him immensely,” said Johanne Saltarelli, Executive Director of Sun Youth.

“Sid was the iconic Sid Stevens who went out to help people, but for us at Sun Youth he was our family,” said Saltarelli, adding that it’s been difficult for staff members who have been there for decades. “We’re all so sad that Montreal has lost really a guardian angel, and for us, we’ve lost our mentor, our friend, our family member.”

“After a long career, people say, ‘Oh, that was my life’ — there is not any doubt that for Sid Stevens, helping others was his life,” said Tommy Kulczyk, president and CEO, Breakfast Club of Canada. “Hundreds of people like me benefited from his counsel and his guidance.”

Kulczyk worked at Sun Youth from 1982 to 2016 alongside Stevens.

“Sid’s office for the first 30 years of the 35 we spent together, was at five feet from my office,” he said. “You would see this person being there six, seven days a week, morning until night. He taught us so much.”

Kulczyk said he attended what he calls “Sid Stevens Academy,” which helped him become a better person.

“He always said, ‘Sun Youth is just the name. It’s as good as the people are part of it. And our success is the contribution and the action of every single woman and man if we all work in the same direction.'”

Stevens received several honours and accolades throughout his life.

Most recently, last year, he signed the City of Montreal’s Golden Book to mark Sun Youth’s 70th anniversary. Years before, in 2018, he was made Commander of the Ordre de Montréal for his dedication towards Montreal’s youth.

Then in 2022, Premier François Legault awarded him the Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction bestowed by the Government of Quebec.

“One thing about Sid, he never said no if you wanted to give him an accolade or an award, but it didn’t change him in any way,” said Marvin Rotrand, former Montreal city councillor and director general of United Against Hate Canada.

“I don’t know how many motions there were at council over the years I was on it about recognizing something that Sun Youth had done. And everyone knew that even when Sid was less actively involved, he was still the power behind the place, giving good advice and making sure that the resources were properly allocated. So the mission of the organization could succeed every year in and year out,” Rotrand added.

In 2026, Steven’s vision will come to life when Sun Youth inaugurates its new building at the corner of St-Laurent Blvd. and Faillon Street. The community hub enabled Sun Youth and other local organizations to provide essential services to young and old alike. “This building is a tangible representation of the legacy of Sun Youth’s co-founders to the city.”

“Buying this building that would create our forever home was their dream,” said Saltarelli. “Sid was able to be with us when we purchased it. And we were really hoping that he would be with us to cut the ribbon. It was not to be.

“But I believe the legacy is in what he’s instilled in us, is that we continue the work that him and Earl did, right? And that is helping Montrealers for whatever that need may be.”

For more information on Sid Stevens’ life journey and his commitment to the community, please visit Sun Youth’s website.

A funeral for Stevens will take place Thursday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m. at Paperman & fils (3888, rue Jean-Talon west, Montreal, H3R 2G8). The service is open to all who wish to pay their respects.

“There’s nobody who’s going to be at his funeral that will have any doubts that this person spent his whole life trying to change people’s lives for the better,” said Kulczyk.

-With files from The Canadian Press