She is the same high-high-spirited proud Canadian today that photographer Les Judson captured on film 40 years ago in what social media transformed in four short days into a heartwarming fun story.
Judson’s image of 22-year-old Noreen McCallum Fedoriuk waving a Canadian flag tied to a crutch during the Canada Jam of 1978 at Mosport Park in Bowmanville has been viewed worldwide on Facebook, CBC, and the internet, tagged with Noreen’s unabashed reaction when she first saw the photo posted on Facebook: “Holy crap, it is me.”
In August 1978, Noreen attended a Canada Jam with every intention of flying a Canadian flag high above the crowd. Knowing full well that no hockey sticks, broom handle or sticks of any kind would be allowed, she faked an injury and hobbled in to the concert with a crutch. Photographer Les Judson spotted Noreen in a crowd of more than 110,000 fans, captured the spirited young Canadian on film, and titled his photograph Joan d’Arc du Canada 1978.
Judson passed away several years ago. The photograph found its way into the care of Judson’s friend, Canadian playwright Norm Foster of Fredericton. In September of this year, Foster decided to search for Judson’s Joan d’Arc in hopes of passing over the photograph to her or her family. He posted the photograph on Facebook.
Four days and 4,200 shares later, Norm found Judson’s mystery woman, Noreen McCallum Fedoriuk of Meaford. “I FOUND HER,” Norm posted on September 24. “Sometimes the world is a lovely place to be.”
Noreen was shocked to learn about both the photograph and Norm’s search for the mystery woman. “I was flabbergasted when I got the message from a friend from Grade 7 asking me: Is this you?,” said Noreen.
The photograph now hangs in Noreen’s home and the craziness of the past two months is slowly fading. “It was a shock, but it is such a good news story,” she said. “The past seven weeks have been a whirlwind, but life is slowly settling down.”
Photo: Noreen McCallum Fedoriuk is the same high-spirited proud Canadian that photographer Les Judson captured on film in 1978 during a Canada Jam concert, when Noreen faked an injury so she could carry a crutch into the concert to fly a Canadian flag high above the crowd. The late Les Judson titled the photograph Joan d’Arc du Canada 1978 and left it in the care of Canadian playwright Norm Foster. Forty years later, in September of this year, Norm was able to identify and locate Noreen from among 110,000-plus concert fans with the help of social media.
