Sid Stevens
1940-2025
In memory of our beloved co-founder who devoted his life to helping Montrealers.
Sid Stevens passed away on August 17 2025, surrounded by loved ones, leaving behind a rich legacy of generosity, solidarity and community engagement. With great sadness, but also pride, Sun Youth honours the rich life of one of its co-founders, Mr. Sid Stevens.
Sid Stevens looked back on over seven decades of community service with pride, knowing he realized his childhood ambition of “making a difference”.
Countless Montrealers past and present are grateful to him for his dedication.
The early years
Sid Stevens was born in 1940 to Jewish immigrant parents in Montreal. He attended Devonshire Elementary School, Baron Byng High School as well as Sir George Williams University.
At 13, Sid and his friend Earl De La Perralle started Sun Youth by organizing sports and leisure activities for local children. Now, the organization supports around 30,000 Montreal residents annually with food, clothing, financial aid, emergency services, and youth programs.
Sun Youth originated from the Clark Street Sun, a neighborhood newspaper sold for 2 cents. The funds were used to buy sports equipment and organize activities.
Today, the organization’s budget has grown from $500 in the mid-1950s to over $8 million.
Community work
Sid Stevens is widely recognized for his unwavering dedication to Montreal’s youth, having devoted his life to empowering them through Sun Youth. Having grown up in Montreal, he was intimately familiar with the challenges faced by young people in urban environments. His personal experience inspired him to develop tangible solutions to help them.
He presided over the Community Basketball Federation, establishing leagues for young people across the city, and collaborated with the Montreal Police Service to establish youth divisions in two police stations.
He fought to increase the safety standards in arenas, parks, and community centres, implementing first aid facilities at Mont-Royal Park’s Beaver Lake. He spearheaded renovations in several Montreal parks, notably Jeanne-Mance Park, where he advocated for upgrades to the soccer field, tennis courts, and the addition of a pedestrian crosswalk.
He was also instrumental in numerous student exchange projects between countries, provinces, and cities, which have left a lasting impression on many Montrealers.
In the 1970s, as arson-related fires were multiplying in the area, Sid 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.
The Montrealer
In 1978, Sid Stevens was elected to Montreal’s city council, where he quickly gained a reputation for his down-to-earth approach to community issues. He won the trust and appreciation of his fellow councillors and the public for his dedication to crime prevention and other community initiatives.
He was instrumental in introducing Crime Stoppers to the city, and was appointed coordinator of the “Operation Tandem”, a crime prevention initiative.
Following his political career, Sid returned to Sun Youth, devoting himself fully to assisting those most in need in Montreal as he believed this was where he could make the greatest difference—and indeed, he did.
Under his guidance as Executive Vice-President, Sun Youth kept innovating.
In 1981, it established Quebec’s first food bank in 1981—a new concept at the time, brought in from Alberta, which allowed families to access food without the need to bring everyone to a soup kitchen. It also created a medication program, for which Sid was honored by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec.
He played a leading role in organizing major relief efforts for flood victims in the Saguenay 1996 and the following year in Manitoba, as well as those affected by the Montreal ice storm in 1998.
Sid also made it a priority to support Montreal’s homebound residents, helping to develop a crucial home delivery service for people with reduced mobility.
Politics never completely left him, as almost all federal and provincial prime ministers met with him at least once a year to get a sense of what was happening in the community.
HONOURS AND ACCOLADES
In 1968, the Knights of Pythias recognized Sid Stevens for his dedication and efforts in preventing juvenile delinquency. The Rotary Club also recognized him in 1979 for the same reason.
In 1986,Sid Stevens received recognition from the Chairperson of Dawson College’s Governing Council for his exceptional leadership, empathy, and support for the disadvantaged, as well as his significant impact on community engagement and vitality.
In 1989, the Ministry of State for Multiculturalism and Citizenship presented him with the Citation of Citizenship.
In 1992, the Faculty of Commerce and Administration at Concordia University recognized him for his outstanding professional achievements and significant contributions to society.
Also in 1992, the Association des Médecins Psychiatres du Québec acknowledged his social engagement with Sun Youth.
That same year, the Montreal Citizenship Council awarded Sid Stevens the Citation for Outstanding Citizen, to honour unselfish service to the community and for his contribution for the welfare of Fellow-Citizens.
In 2002, McGill University conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
In 2010, Sid Stevens was featured in the book “Honourable Menschen II” by Doreen Glazer, alongside 16 other prominent Montrealers, for his outstanding contributions to the community.
In 2011, Sid Stevens was chosen as the Metropolitan Montreal Board of Trade’s Social Sector Great Montrealer of the Year.
In 2017, Sid Stevens and Earl De La Perralle, the co-founder of Sun Youth, were honoured with the Sheila and Victor Goldbloom award for their exceptional contributions to Montreal’s English-speaking community.
In 2018,Sid Stevens was made Commander of the Ordre de Montréal for his dedication towards Montreal’s youth.
In 2022, Premier François Legault awarded him the Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction bestowed by the Government of Quebec.
In 2024, Mr. Stevens and the Sun Youth team were honoured to be received at City Hall to mark the organization’s 70th anniversary. He signed the City of Montreal’s Golden Book.
