Wreaths Across Canada

Adorned graves at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in St. John’s, Newfoundland. (Photo submitted by Wreaths Across Canada)

I received an article written by Canadian Forces Captain, Lisa Evong, entitled, "A wreath for every Canadian veteran", about a new initiative between the Canadian Forces and Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa to be called Wreaths Across Canada.

The article says -

Almost a quarter of a million Canadian veterans are buried in cemeteries across Canada including those at rest at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood. Many Canadians are unaware of this fact, and so the honour that is owed to them is lost. Wreaths Across Canada (W.A.C.) Incorporated is an organization determined to correct this omission starting on December 4.

“All too often when the image of deceased Canadian war veterans comes to mind we think of those buried overseas at places like Vimy, Normandy, Ortona, or Hong Kong,” says Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk. “But, thousands of veterans, many of whom fought in and survived those same battles, are buried in military burial sites throughout our nation. Wreaths Across Canada is giving Canadians of every age an opportunity to play a personal and significant role in the ceremony to honour our fallen.”

Beginning Sunday, December 4 at 1:30 p.m., W.A.C. will activate its mission by placing almost 3000 balsam wreaths on the headstones of every veteran buried in the National Military Cemetery. The public is invited to participate in this most personal act of remembrance. It is anticipated that this will become an annual tradition in Ottawa and it is hoped that this ceremony of commemoration spreads to every military cemetery throughout Canada.

“Keep in mind three easy words - Remember, Honour, Teach – that is the mission statement of Wreaths Across Canada,” says General (Ret) Rick Hillier, W.A.C.’s Honourary Chairman. “We will remember those members of the Canadian Forces who lie in military cemeteries across Canada; we will honour those who have served Canada as members of our military forces; and we will strive to teach Canadian youth the value of freedom.”

No longer will it only be government and military leaders placing wreaths on memorials. W.A.C. invites you, your friends, and your family to participate in this ceremony. Families are encouraged to bring their children to the ceremony and schools are encouraged to participate. Serving members of the Canadian Forces are invited to attend in uniform and veterans attending are encouraged to wear their medals. The hope is that participants will depart with a new sense of gratitude and understanding of the sacrifice that was made.

W.A.C. is a registered charitable organization composed of a small group of volunteers who are mainly veterans. Local school boards are enthusiastic about this program and there is also a growing interest from other organizations and associations.

Fundraising for W.A.C. is now in full swing. Funds have been received from Veteran’s Affairs Canada, The McCain Foundation, the True Patriot Love Foundation, the Harrison McCain Foundation and individual donations from the general public. If you would like to make a donation to W.A.C, or volunteer to lay a wreath on December 4, please visit the website at http://www.WreathsAcrossCanada.ca, call 613-435-4294 or simply just arrive at the National Military Cemetery at 1 p.m. and you will be given a wreath to lay when the ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m.  

Postscript #1 - Glenn Wright, the former military archivist at the Library and Archives Canada, has informed me that the website, "WWI Canadian War Graves in the United Kingdom", has been put together by D. Beaupré and Adrian Watkinson. They are compiling a list and information about 3,885 soldiers who are buried in 834 locations across the United Kingdom.

The website is www.canadianukgravesww1.co.uk.

Postscript #2 - Ancestry.ca has FREE access for Canadian Military Records on its website at  www.ancestry.ca/11remembrance?lcid=4105&o_xid=37375&o_lid=37375&o_sch=Newspaper+Brand%2fPR until November 13th, 2011.

Tomorrow's Post: The Portraits of Honour National Tour, plus live streaming of the CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Canada's public broadcaster) of the Remembrance Day Service, live from the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa.

Canadian Soldier Sikhs: A Little Story in a Big War

A film is being made by Canada's David R. Gray about ten Sikh men who enlisted in the Canadian Army in the First World War. As the website says, the film "follows the men through the enlistment process, training, and transport to France by troopship. It features the struggles these Sikh soldiers faced and the battles they fought, including those during which two of the men were killed".

The producers of the film are looking for assistance from people who travel to India, and may be able to contact the relatives and descendants of the ten Canadian Sikh soldiers. And they are looking for photos of any of these Canadian Sikh soldiers.

You contact the producers at grayhound@xplornet.com. The website is http://canadiansoldiersikhs.ca.

Postscript # 1 I have just been informed by Sandeep Singh Brar of the website at  http://www.sikhmuseum.com/buckam which honours "Private Buckam Singh: Discovering a Canadian Hero" - the first Sikh to enlist in the First World War with an Ontario battalion. 

The website says that "Buckam Singh came to B.C. from Punjab in 1907 at age 14 and eventually moved to Toronto in 1912/1913. He enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the spring of 1915. He's one of the earliest known Sikhs living in Ontario at the time as well as one of only 9 Sikhs that we know of that served with Canadian troops in WWI".

Postscript # 2 According to a story in the Ottawa Citizen, there are a number of tunnels in France that have etchings in them. They are a reminder of the Canadian veterans who stayed in the tunnels in the wintertime while waiting to fight the Germans in the First World War.

There will be a travelling art exhibit of the etchings that will cross Canada in 2014, the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war.

The story is found online at www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/French+tunnel+etchings+haunting+reminder+Canada+veterans/5666293/story.html.

Tomorrow's Post: Wreath Laying in Ottawa

Canada at War: A Guide to LAC's Websites

Private G.R. MacDonald of The Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.) giving first aid to an injured French boy, Brionne, France, 25 August 1944.

"Military and Peacekeeping" is one of the many topics found under the umbrella title of "Canada at War: A Guide to Library and Archives Canada's Websites Recalling the Canadian War Experience", found online at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/veterans/index-e.html.


This webpage will lead you to the many resources available on their website, particularly those who lost their lives in the First World War. Veterans' Week 2011 marks the 93rd anniversary of the armistice ending the First World War.

Sunday evening, we watched TVO's excellent documentary, "The Last Day of World War One", hosted by Michael Palin.

Although it was a British program about the last day of the war and the fighting that continued on that day even though the Armistice had actually been signed, many references were made to Canadians, including Strathroy, Ontario's own, General Sir Arthur Currie.

TVO is commemorating Remembrance Day with a month of special programming ww3.tvo.org/story/tvo-commemorates-remembrance-day-month-special-programming

Tomorrow's Post: Canadian Soldier Sikhs: A Little Story in a Big War 

New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 10

Here are some of the websites and blogs that I have come across the week ending November 6, 2011 -

The War Graves Photographic Project http://twgpp.org Started in England, it now covers Canadian graves, with over 30 volunteers taking photos of cemeteries under the guidance of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Canadian Veterans Affairs. You can research by surname and first name, and they have a photo gallery onsite, and News & Information. If you have a question about a Canadian grave, please email Vernon Mastman at vernon@twgpp.org.

The War of 1812 Website  www.warof1812.ca A well-rounded site that was started to commemorate the War of 1812 by listing the latest articles on the War of 1812, book reviews, videos, prints, maps, uniforms, and games.

The Birthplace of John McCrae and a National Historic Site http://guelpharts.ca/mccraehouse/index.php Read about the site and the events that are being held at the John McCrae House, the author of In Flanders Fields.

CFS Alert http://jproc.ca/rrp/alert.html Canadian Forces Station Alert in Nunavut is the most-northerly, permanently-inhabited settlement in the world of the Canadian military! The site gives a history of the place and the personnel, explanations of some of the equipment used, and contains some really good photographs of the station.

The Canadian International Military Tattoo New! www.canadianmilitarytattoo.ca The tattoo will take place in Hamilton to mark the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, as well as the 150th Anniversary of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Forces_casualties_in_Afghanistan A breakdown of the Canadian casualties in Afghanistan is given as well as a history of where these casualties occurred, and continue to occur.

Avroland www.avroland.ca Dedicated to the people and projects of AVRO Canada and Orenda Engines Limited. The Toronto Aerospace Museum has completed their full-size replica Arrow, which is onsite, as well as the people who helped design and build the Avro Arrow.

Canadian Heroes (Military Heroes) www.canada-heros.com/military.html A blog which answers the question of "Who is a Hero?" Read about the Canadian heroes of yesterday and today. It also has Ginny McIlmoyle singing the song, "The Highway of Heroes", the stretch of Hwy 401 that goes from CFB Trenton to Toronto.  The song was written to honour the people who came back to Canada after they were killed in Afghanistan.

The Heroes Remember www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/hrp This website contains video interviews of Canadian Veterans of the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, the Chinese-Canadian veterans, along with some very interesting anecdotes on their experiences.

Remembrance Day in Canada: Remembering Canadians Who Fought and Died in War http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/canadawar/a/remembranceday.htm  Lots of interesting links on this site, especially on the First World War.

Tomorrow's Post: Discover the Collection: Military and Peacekeeping

Royal Canadian Navy Ledger Sheets Database (1910-1941)

Canadian Corvettes, on antisubmarine duty while escorting a WW II convoy. National Archives of Canada / PA-115350

Library and Archives Canada has just announced the launch of a new online database, "Royal Canadian Navy Ledger Sheets (1910-1941)".

The LAC says that "Through this online database, researchers can access more than 16,700 references to individuals who served in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Naval Reserve between 1910 and 1918. It also includes some records for those who enlisted between 1919 and 1941".

The database is available at the following address:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/navyledgersheet/index-e.html

For more information, please contact webservices@bac-lac.gc.ca.

I had one uncle in the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, and his name was John (Johnnie) Turner Barclay (b. 1916 – d. 1975) from Jordan Falls, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia. He was my father's brother, and his home base was CFB Halifax.

He often talked about the stormy weather that they had as they crossed the Northern Atlantic to fight off of the coast of England in the Battle of the Atlantic. He was in the engine room, and he said that there were cramped conditions in which they lived and worked during those long days at sea.

The navy lost 24 ships and 1,797 sailors in the war.

Admiralty House Museum, Halifax, NS http://psphalifax.ca/marcommuseum/convoys.html I have been at the museum in Halifax, and it is a beautiful place. The website says, "The museum has a library of over 50,000 volumes, archives, and a permanent collection displaying historical artifacts including model ships, weapons, photos, medals and much more".

Tomorrow's Post: New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs, Week 10

Canada's Veterans' Week

Canadian Veterans' Week will remember those Canadians who are, and have been, members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Veterans Affairs Canada, www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/veterans-week, is asking us to "Make remembrance more than something you feel. Make it something you do".

This Veterans’ Week, take the remembrance challenge - "There are many ways to show that you remember and honour our Veterans". For instance -

• Pin a poppy above your heart.

• Attend the local Remembrance Day ceremony.

• Talk to a friend or relative who has just returned home from Afghanistan or who served in other areas of conflict.

• Listen to Veterans talk about their experiences.

• Create a mashup and share it on the Veterans Affairs Canada YouTube Channel.

• Visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Facebook fan page, write on our wall, and share how you remember.

• Follow Veterans Affairs Canada on Twitter and tweet about how you remember.
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• Change your Facebook profile picture to a poppy.
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• Blog, tweet or update your Facebook status about the importance of remembrance.

You can share your experiences with people who have put their experiences online in a video at the Remembrance Feed at www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/feature/remember/social?startRow=61 

You can share the experiences of the students at Westgrove School from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the experience of Jason Peters from College of New Caledonia, Prince George, B.C., to the experience of Cindi Hachey from Maugerville, New Brunswick.

Visit the Events page at www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/veterans-week/events for more information on  the events nearest you.

As the website says, "Together, it is our duty to pass on the legacy and keep the memories of our Canadian Veterans alive."

Tomorrow's Post: Royal Canadian Navy Ledger Sheets (1910-1941)

Blogger Showcases Canada’s Veterans' Week (November 5-11)

(Ottawa, Canada - November 3, 2011) In accepting the remembrance challenge of this year’s Veterans’ Week, “Make remembrance more than something you feel. Make it something you do”, Canadian blogger, Elizabeth Lapointe, will have a whole week of Canadian military-related posts on her blog, www.GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com.

Lapointe says, “Coming from a military family, and married into one, Veterans’ Week means something special to me. It is in this spirit that I will post on related Canadian military websites and blogs, culminating with a special Remembrance Day post on November 11th.”

Some examples of the posts planned during Veterans’ Week include a post on Veterans’ Week itself, listing the different events planned across Canada; a post covering the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the National Military Cemetery at Ottawa’s Beechwood Cemetery in December; and on November 11th (Remembrance Day), there will be a post on The Portraits of Honour National Tour, which has been going across Canada since May, and which will stop in Ottawa on November 11th and 12th.

Also included will be a special “Canadian Military” websites and blogs list that will be posted on Monday, November 7th as a special edition of the “New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs” series, which is published every Monday.

“I have gone through the military websites and blogs, and have picked the ones which have special meaning and remembrance for this week. Join me as I take the journey to the best websites and blogs honouring Veterans’ Week - November 5th to the 11th," says Lapointe.

About GenealogyCanada

The blog, www.GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com, has been covering Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history since the first of over 500 posts was published in January, 2008.

At the www.GenealogyCanada.com website, there are over 30 monthly newsletters covering news on Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history, including the famous “Website of the Month”.

Tomorrow's Post: What is Canadian Veterans' Week?