Sun Youth co-founder Sid Stevens dies at 85 after seven decades of community service

By Canadian Press on August 18, 2025.

MONTREAL — Sid Stevens, who co-founded well-known Montreal-based community organization Sun Youth, has died at age 85.

The organization said Stevens died Sunday surrounded by loved ones.

An obituary on Sun Youth’s website pays tribute to Stevens’ legacy of “generosity, solidarity and community engagement” during seven decades of community service.

He started in 1954 at the age of 13 by selling hand-written newspapers for two cents each and using the funds to buy sports equipment and organize activities for children.

Those efforts grew into Sun Youth, which provides food, clothing, emergency services and youth programs to tens of thousands of people per year.

Stevens was made a member of the Ordre de Montreal and the Ordre national du Québec in recent years for his dedication to youth and his community.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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