Ottawa Pioneer Residents

(George Murugasen )  (Mrs Joyce Murugasen                                                         with one of her grand-children) (Stanley Murugasen - third from left - and elder brother, Sam Arumagum Murugasen, - first from right - with Rusty, Mohan and Adam in the early days in Ottawa. The photo was taken while they were meeting on the old Ottawa Primary school ground. The area has now been taken over by the Globe's shopping centre) MURUGASEN BROTHERS – JACKET, SAM ARUMAGUM AND STEVEN – WHO PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN SPORT IN OTTAWA   By Subry Govender   Three brothers who made a significant impact on the community of Ottawa despite their different ages belonged to the large Murugasen family who lived in a wood and iron house, opposite the central trading   store,   on the Old Main Road.     (Jacket) (Sam Arumagum)  (Steven also known as Squares) They were known as Jacket, Sam Arumugam, and Steven. They became part and parcel of the social life of our Ottawa village in

  By Krish Naicker (A personal historical recollection) (Editor: Subry Govender)   (Ottawa United in 1977: Standing: Steven Pillay (manager), unknown, Sunjith Baijnath, Adam Sayed, Parsu Munisamy, Krish Naicker, Sam Murugasen, Michael, and unknown. Seated: unknown, unknown, unknown, Aboo Padvattan, unknown, Chocks Arunachellan, unknown, Jay Inderjeeth)   The sport of soccer or football was one of the main activities or pastimes for most youngsters in our little village of Ottawa since the late 1940s and up to the 1990s. The talented soccer youngsters used to practice and play most of the time at the Ottawa Polo Ground and at the Jhugroo Primary School sports ground in the area we used to call Tin Town. During our time, the players were involved in several soccer teams that played mainly in fixtures organised by the Verulam and District Football Association at the Verulam Recreation Ground.     (The Silver Stars in the early 1970s before Ottawa United was formed.)

                                                    (Kista "Police" Reddy and his wife.)     A POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS HIGHLY-RESPECTED FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO LAW AND ORDER   By Subry Govender In the early days in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s one resident in the little village of Ottawa, north of Durban,   who became almost a celebrity was Kista Reddy, well-known as Kista Police. A policeman by profession, he and his large family lived in a wood and iron house right next door to the huge and modern building, S V Centre,   built on the site of the t-room that was run by fat-man Harry. Kista Reddy was based at the Verulam Police Station and as a person of the law, he wielded tremendous influence in the village. All the young boys and adults who indulged in social activities such as ganga, excessive alcohol and gambling made sure that they did not cross paths with him in any way. In those days, the people showed their appreciation to policemen and women because the