Carl White grew up on Union Alley, in a tenement building about half a block from the Boys & Girls Club (now BGC). For a kid, that short walk mattered. It gave him somewhere to go, something to do, and people who expected him to show up.

“We lived right down the street. My siblings, and other neighbourhood kids, we all came to the club,” he says. “Actually, it was here at the club that I picked up my first basketball. Even before I started playing in school, I was picking up a basketball here.”

While it was a place to play, the club also taught him a lesson he’s carried for decades. Communities don’t work unless people put real time into them. It also instilled values of inclusion. “The idea that you don’t throw a child away,” Carl says, “that stuck with me.”

The connection ran deeper than his own experience. Carl’s grandmother was active in the club’s Ladies’ Auxiliary, as were his mother and aunts. Years later, his daughter Sabrina followed the same path. Carl still laughs when he recalls her turning down a family trip to Disney World at age 11 because she didn’t want to miss her club programs. For Carl and his family, BGC became a major part of their lives.

That sense of responsibility carried into adulthood. Carl worked as a local sports writer when he was younger and spent most of his professional life as a human rights investigator. Along the way, he served on dozens of boards and committees, from policing and equity to community development.

“If you’re going to commit to being on something, do your 100 percent involvement. Do your part,” he says. “I’ve been on boards where a small core of people does everything and others are just there to say they are on it to boost their resume. That doesn’t help anyone.”

That mindset eventually led him to Saint John city council, where he served three terms and spent time as deputy mayor. Carl wasn’t drawn to politics for recognition. He saw it as another place where showing up mattered.

“Municipal government is where you face the people most. You’re right in the community. People come and say, ‘Councillor, got a minute?’” he says. He focused on city-wide priorities even when the choices came with political consequences. “There were decisions I knew would cost me support, but I was comfortable with the work I did.”

Some contributions were less formal. When cruise ships first diverted to Saint John during storms, Carl volunteered on the welcoming committee, handing out roses and pins to arriving passengers. When they asked what they owed, he told them there was no charge. Saint John was just glad to have them.

The book project emerged the same way. Back in 2001, the late Reverend Lake began collecting material for a history of the Boys & Girls Club, but passed away before completing it. Two boxes of documents, photos, and notes sat untouched for many years. In 2023, as the club approached its 125th anniversary, a publisher asked if anyone planned to finish the book. Carl had just stepped off the board after 25 years of service. Newer members didn’t have the same memory of the organization, but Carl did. He knew it was important to get the story right. After all, BGC started here in Saint John back in 1892, long before it grew to over 600 clubs across the country.

“It made sense,” he says. “I knew the history and what the club stood for. When they asked me to take on the book, it was a no-brainer. I reworked Reverend Lake’s material, filled in the gaps, and shaped it into a book that flows from start to finish.”

Although this is Carl’s first book, he’s not expecting any royalty cheques anytime soon. The project was always a fundraiser. Every dollar from the $30 cover price goes straight back to the club, helping programs and making sure every kid can join in, no matter the family budget.

“This wasn’t about me,” he says. “It was about making sure the club is there for the next group of kids.”

After a lifetime of involvement, that idea still guides him. Show up. Do the work. Leave something meaningful behind.