In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields.
Pictures for this supplement were provided by the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives and by family members.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields.
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Remembrance Day
How surrender news was received in Merritt The following is an excerpt directly from the May 11, 1945 edition of the Merritt Herald.
VE-DAY was known to people of Merritt at about 7.15, this Monday morning, May 7, when the fire siren shrieked from the roof of the fire station at the City Hall, followed soon afterwards by the whistle of Long Bros. Saw Mill. Commissioner F. S. Gay was at the city hall soon afterwards and L. E. Morrissey, members of the clergy, celebration committee men, and others. W. Cousin had the doors of the I.O.O.F. Hall open and the hall ready for the community service. By 8.30 a.m. a large jubilant crowd had gathered, men, women, and children, the school, Legion, and other flags were being gathered in.
Merritt Cadets in uniform, some on bicycles, had been sent around to notify all concerned that there would be a school holiday for VE Day. It was a bright, still, sunny day. Following are the arrangements for the observance of VE-Merritt Day, this Monday evening. Meeting at 6.30 p.m. at the City Hall, a general parade was to start, ending at the Oddfellows’ Hall, where a Community Gathering was to be held for an impromptu programme, community singing, etc. At this gathering, announcements would be made for the Official Programme and Parade to the Cenotaph, Courthouse Grounds,
for Tuesday, the Official VE-Day. Stores stayed open until noon after word of the surrender arrived, then closed until Wednesday morning. Cadets did good work as dispatch riders and couriers carrying messages to those who had charge of arrangements, committee men and others. At the community service, a brief informal, undenominational one of thanksgiving in the I.O.O.F. Hall, the building was filled. The atmosphere was of relieved jubilation. Cadets were in khaki uniforms in a block. The Canadian flag and the Union Jack standard were in the middle of the platform. Children carried tiny flags. Rev.
Allan Johnstone opened the service, with Mrs. S. Gerrard at the piano. The first hymn was “Now Our God To Thee We Praise.” Rev. C.E.H. Williams offered a brief prayer of thanks. Rev. Johnstone told briefly of the significance of the occasion and led in a prayer of general thanksgiving, with the congregation joining in with The Lord’s Prayer. The concluding hymn was “Now Thank We All Our God.” The service closed with memorable singing in full spirit of God Save the King. Rev. J. Wesley Miller was absent. He was at Spences Bridge when the news arrived, having driven his son to the train.
Thursday NOVEMBER 11, 2021
TAKE TIME TO REMEMBER ALL WHO SACRIFICED EVERYTHING SO THAT WE COULD BE FREE Laying of wreaths - 11 am Merritt Civic Centre Spectators are encouraged to watch from home, please go to City of Merritt facebook page.
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May we remember the sacrifices of others
Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley
From soldier to Chief: Percy Joe The Herald profiles a pair of local veterans and their stories.
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D
espite being just a few short years after the end of the Second World War and the Korean War, the late 1950s was still a time when the Canadian Armed Forces beckoned to young men dreaming of adventure. Percy Joe was one such young man, who began to consider a career in the military while still a teenager attending St. George’s Residential School in Lytton. “There was actually a reserve portion from the Rocky Mountain Rangers that were in Lytton,” Joe reminisced. “At the young age of 15 I tried to join them, but you had to be 16. So I hung around with them, and I used to attend their meetings until I turned 16, and then I became a member of the Rocky Mountain Rangers.” That was in 1957 and
WAR HEROES
from there Joe was sent to a training centre in Wainwright, Alberta. “Our instructor with
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“So, at my first opportunity, this would have been probably 1960, I decided to join the regular forces.” Following six months of basic training in Calgary, Joe was sent to Germany during an extraordinarily tense time on the world stage. 1926 Quilchena Ave. 378-2676 “Ths Cuban Missile Crisis was on; the Bay of In honour of those Pigs had just happened, who serve us. and they needed the THANK YOU! full strength of NATO,” explained Joe. “I was posted with the second battalion of the Queen’s Own Rifles in Calgary, and then I was posted to a first battalion that was in Germany @missvickispetalsandplants serving with NATO.” 2052B Quilchena Ave., Merritt, BC • 250-378-5575 He remained there throughout 1962 and much of 1963, “Right Proud to acknowledge our at the heart of the Cold War.” “I think about it now, and my two-year tour in Germany was definitely a highlight,” Joe continued. “We did a lot of sports there.”
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the regular forces was with the Queen’s Own Rifles and I thought they looked sharp,” said Joe.
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who fought so hard for our freedom.
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HERO
A person who in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength often sacrificing his or her own personal concerns for some greater good. REMEMBERING Ken Moyes and all of our local heroes!
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Our thanks to those who fought for our freedom
Joe was part of the crosscountry team that won a trophy no other Canadian team has, and Outstanding Agents, Outstanding Results. 112 1700 Garcia Street 250-378-6941 also represented the British Army of the Rhine in England, where they competed against Olympic runners. We sincerely appreciate our “At that time, the British had heroes past and present..... their Olympic runners as part of the army to keep them training every day and be paid,” explained Joe. “So, we ran against some Olympians also, which was an interesting thing. We learned a lot from them.” The Canadians excelled in the 3701 De Wolf Way, Merritt • 250-315-1022 often less than ideal conditions, winning even with improper footwear or in icy or muddy conditions. Although they didn’t beat the Olympic runners as individuals, they often bested them as a team, and during one race Joe even passed a British Olympic runner he’d come to know. In the autumn of 1963, Joe was returning home and looking forward to setting down quietly on the peaceful soils of home, but that was not meant to be. “Flying back on Nov. 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinaton November 11 ed when we were halfway across the Atlantic,” said Joe. Take Time to reflect on the sacrifices “Our plane was ordered to fly that were given so we could be free in a circle for about two hours while they were deciding what to do with us. Continue to Canada or go back to Germany?” MINI-STORAGE • CONTAINER SALES & RENTALS Eventually, his plane was 1750 HILL ST. MERRITT • 250-315-3000 granted permission to land at CFB
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Trenton and Joe returned home to BC, ending up in Victoria where he did the majority of his service. Looking to advance through the ranks, in 1964 Joe undertook the first of many courses he would complete over the years, becoming a Junior NCO and then following through for another promotion shortly after. “That was my first step into the leadership, although I was already then what was called a Lance Corporal, which was an appointed rank,” explained Joe. “I moved on up the ranks after my courses… I travelled back and forth across Canada almost every year for courses in Camp Borden, Ontario. I think I’ve gone to Camp Borden seven or eight times taking different courses there.” In 1965, Canadian troops were needed in Cyprus as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force which hoped to prevent additional fighting between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots following violent conflict that had already cost hundreds of lives on the island. “I went in April and did a sixmonth tour there with the UN,” said Joe, who noted that they were not welcomed with open arms by any means. “It was still kind of a wild west show there. It was about one year into when the UN went into Cyprus and we were, I think, the first unit that did six months, the rest had done three-month tours.
They still loved shooting at you, and they loved the colour blue, it was a nice target. So, we were shot at a few times, and didn’t enjoy that at all.” Joe had also been trained to be an instructor for the Winter Warfare Course, training that would come in handy during his next posting. “That covers how to handle weapons in the cold weather, so they don’t freeze up,” Joe explained. “In the army, everything had to be oiled down all the time, well you can’t put too much oil on there or everything will start freezing. And how to dress properly and how to care for each other. In cold weather, you had to ensure you had a partner because within 30 seconds you could basically get frostbite, particularly at -70 with a little wind blowing.” Joe himself suffered frostbite on his nose, cheeks and ears. “I had my hood on, but the wind was blowing,” explained Joe. “And you don’t feel it, so you have to almost every minute be checking each other and learn how to unthaw yourself. During our course one of our candidates lost a toe because he froze his toe and then he warmed it up too quickly and of course gangrene set into the foot.” None of this was a deterrent to Joe, who served in Canada’s far north in Turn to Page 5 1967.
Thank you to all those who have served our country to preserve our Freedom!
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley From Page 4 “Canada wanted to show its presence in the north,” said Joe. “Russia was trying to claim portions of the north because Canada was not showing that it belonged to them. We were up there for sixweek tours, just walking around with the flag being Canadian.” That same year, Joe became part of what was known an as Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force, a reinforcement to the NATO forces in Canada, and was sent to Norway for training, first in June and then again in the winter of 1969. “I was on a reconnaissance platoon at that time. As a rapid mobile force, we had to get all of our equipment over there within seven days and be prepared for whatever needed to happen. We were up at the very northern part of Norway, the Tromsø was where we landed, and Tromsø is about 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, so were up on top of the world. I felt like if I looked over the mountain, I could probably see Russia down below, or be looking over Finland.” Joe eventually became a Master Corporal and was up for a promotion in 1971, but after 13 years, he decided he’d had enough of the military life and stepped down to become a full time civilian. “Well, there wasn’t much need for machine gunners or mortarman, or any kind of weapons,” Joe joked about his transition from the Armed Forces to the regular
workforce. “I worked in construction. The funny part was I worked for a small company out of Penticton, and we did a lot of rock stabilization work, contract work for CN and CPR and some for the highways, so we had to do dynamite work, but I didn’t hold a ticket to do the explosives work, even though that was my background.” Despite many years handling explosives in the army, Joe found it humorous that he wasn’t considered certified to do it on the jobsite. Following his stint in civil construction, Joe got into the concrete business for ten years. From the time of his discharge from the CAF, Joe has been active in serving his community of Shackan. “I’ve been a Chief there for 45 years, and I was on council for two years, so I’ve served 47 years to my community,” said Joe, who tried to retire unsuccessfully in 2008 before finally stepping down in 2018. Joe has also been active in advocating for equal treatment and reparations for Indigenous veterans since 1999. Joe’s personal connection to this cause stretched back to the beginning of his military service, at a time when Indigenous people were still not recognized as citizens, disenfranchised, and forced to give up their ‘Indian Status’ in order to join the Armed Forces. “Then when they came back
Thank you to our war vets.
and did not go strictly to the Indian reserve but went somewhere else, you were not entitled to compensation. So, it’s really a complicated thing. We’re still fight- 1951A Garcia Avenue • 250-378-6808 ing about that.” Joe did encounter racism durHonouring our Heroes. Their courage and ing his military career and was sacrifice will always be remembered. once reprimanded for confronting a superior officer regarding one such incident. He was charged with insubordination and knocked down a rank, which he accepted without complaint, considering the confrontation of the man’s attitude worth the cost. “My loss of rank didn’t last Kamloops Airport & Merritt Airport 250-378-6261 very long, anyway,” Joe said. “By the time I walked out of the commanding officer’s room to the hallway I met another NCO that wanted me to go on a reconnaissance platoon, and the colonel liked me, he wouldn’t take anybody else, so he bumped me back up to my rank.” As Joe ages, he finds that Remembrance Day develops more meaning, particularly as those he served with begin to pass. Each year it becomes more important to him to see their service remembered. Joe is still active in the discussion surrounding the rights and entitlements of Indigenous Veterans and is a member of a recognized Veterans group under the Assembly of First Nations. In - Jose Narosky 2018, Grand Chief Percy Joe also received the Order of BC.
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Remembrance Day “I’ve had an interesting life”: Leroy Wagar Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM
L
eRoy Wagar was the recipient of this year’s First Poppy from Royal Canadian Legion Merritt Branch 096. Wagar served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for five years, first joining in Brooks, Alberta in 1952 and receiving an honourable discharge in 1957. 250-378-2022 Wagar was born in Medicine 2001 Quilchena Avenue , Merritt, BC Hat, Alberta on Jan. 3, 1934. The Canadian prairies had been badly affected by the Great Depression and it wasn’t unusual at that time for women to have homebirths, rather than travel and bear the expense of a hospital visit. “My older brother was born at UNDERHILL & UNDERHILL home, but I got to go to the hosUNDERHILL GEOMATICS LTD. pital to get the job done,” Wagar joked. Professional Land Surveyors & Engineers When he was a young boy, KAMLOOPS – MERRITT – BURNABY – WHITEHORSE Wagar’s mother contracted tuberculosis and had to spend a year in www.underhill.ca Calgary. Hospitals for people diagnosed with tuberculosis, known as sanatoriums, were common at that time, but periods of treatment were long and required patients to live on site. Wagar and his brother were sent to live with their grandparents on their farm in Whitla, childhood for rural Alberta boys. southwest of Medicine Hat on the www.underhill.ca “We played outside and dug highway to Lethbridge. in the dirt and snagged gophers,” 250-378-5535 Here, they enjoyed a typical Wagar remembered.
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley From Page 6 reunited in Brooks, Alberta. “Mom came out of the hospital and Dad was working at Brooks. He’d use Brooks as a kind of land base, he’d go up to Calgary and see her then he’d go back to Brooks to work, so he moved us up to Brooks and we started school there. I started grade one and I was there until I was 18, and then I joined the Air Force.” While at school in Brooks, Wagar joined the Air Cadets and began to see a future for himself in the military. “I was in the Air Cadets when I was a youngster in school, and the Air Force guy came through recruiting one day.” At the age of 17 he approached his parents for permission to join the Air Force, but his mother was against the idea. “Mom wouldn’t let me join the Air Force when I was younger, in them days you could join when you were 17 and she wouldn’t let me,” explained Wagar, who was not to be deterred. “So, I went up to Calgary one weekend with a buddy of mine from Brooks, and happened to walk by the recruitment office. I was 18 then and I went in and talked to them, next thing you know I’m over getting a medical and all that. It took me most of the afternoon and then I was all signed up.” That afternoon turned out to be the first of many times that the service took care of Wagar, who returned to his hotel to meet up with his friend. “By that time, we were going to hitchhike home because we’d spent all our money the night before,” explained Wagar. “But when I spent the time joining up, the Air Force paid me for that time that afternoon and it was enough money to buy the two of us our train tickets. It worked out good, until I got home. I got a little bit chicken and didn’t want to tell Mom.” Instead of telling his mom, having lost his nerve on the ride home, Wagar went straight to his grandmother’s house and told her and his aunt what he’d done. “She got mad at me and said she wasn’t going to tell my mom, and grandma’s not going to tell her
either, you’ve got to do that yourself,” Wagar recalled of his conversation with his aunt. Admittedly, having just joined the Air Force, Wagar knew he could be facing any number of dangers and enemy offensives in his future deployments, but those seemingly paled in comparison to upsetting his mom. “So, I went downtown and spent the afternoon,” said Wagar. “When I got home around supper time, I could tell she’d found out. And she gave me a chewing out, I’ll tell you.” From the hamlet of Brooks, population 1,648, Wagar was sent to Saint-Jean, Quebec for basic training and then on to Camp Borden (now CFB Borden) for trades training, where he became an Airframe Technician. As an Airframe Technician, Wagar was responsible for maintenance and repair of the wings, legs, wheels and main body of the frame, amongst other systems. “We didn’t want to be called mechanics,” Wagar joked, after comparing the position to that of a mechanic. Wagar was then posted to Edmonton to the 418 Reserve Squadron before being transferred to France where he worked on F-86 Sabre Jets. We honour the service “Grostenquin, France was a little village, there wasn’t much there but we had our base just out of and extraordinary courage of our town, and we used to go into Metz for holidays and off duty stuff,” explained Wagar, who was overseas for two servicemen and women, years. “We used to go down to Rabat in French Morocco past and present, and are forever and put on air firing exercises against the Americans, grateful for their sacrifices... because they had Sabre jets, too. But ours was a point or two higher in power than what there’s was, so we whooped their behinds all the time.” Asked if beating the Americans was a point of pride for the Canadians, Wagar responded with a grin, “Oh, you betcha.” “We used to go up to Germany, to a German base we had… I went over there around 1953, and that was Jackie Tegart, MLA only eight years (after the end of WWII). There were a few bullet holes all over Turn to Page 8 #2–2152 Quilchena Ave. Ph: 250-378-8831
We will never forget.
A message from the
Scw’exmx Tribal Council
The Scw’exmx Tribal Council wants to express on behalf of all Canadians our Pride in this history. History is important, the history about Native veterans and the place they served with honor and distinction, home and abroad in the time of war and in keeping peace. More than 200 Canadian native soldiers were killed or died from wounds during the Second World War. Natives earned a minimum of 18 decorations for bravery in action. They participated in every major battle and campaign. On each occasion our soldiers overcame challenges and made impressive sacrifices and contributions to help our nation restore world peace. In order to fight for our country, our Native Veterans had to give up their Native Status on top of the ultimate sacrifice. May we bring home these historic memories of our ancestors and elders as we honor the Native Veterans today...
These pictures represent just a fraction of our Native Veterans Joseph Coutlee
Mike Bob
Percy Joe
Richard Jackson Sr.
Richard Jackson Jr.
Dave Shuter
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Remembrance Day From Page 7 the place, especially up in the northern part of the country, it’s not as rich as the south. All the little towns were pretty well shot up from the war. In the stone buildings over there, if you had a bullet in the side of the wall, you couldn’t get it out. You’d have to plaster it all over, but it was poor country, and they didn’t have a mind to do that.” France at that time was not much different. “Everything after the war was still full of holes and as far as fixing it all up, they just left it,” said Wagar. As in other parts of Europe, France and Germany were also faced with the issue of unexploded wartime ordnances, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 10% of Allied bombs failed to detonate, leaving not only bullet holes but tons of unexploded munitions to mar the landscape and pose a danger for civilians and troops alike. “The best part about being over there was that the money was rated four to one,” said Wagnar, who also noted that Canadians were welcomed with open arms everywhere he went in Europe. “I was getting about
$220 a month in the Air Force, and four times that much was what I got over there. The quarter was only worth about a nickel, and we were just like millionaires.” Following his two years overseas, Wagar returned to Edmonton where he joined the 105 Search and Rescue Squadron, “Looking for lost souls up around the north country there.” In 1957, after five years of service, Wagar received an honourable discharge, after which he returned home to Brooks and took up truck driving. After moving to BC he worked loading and unloading CPR containers and barges. A friend then started a mobile home business, so Wagar bought a truck for moving them and hauled them from Calgary to Vancouver. Wagar has been active in the Legion since his discharge from active service. “When I got out, one of the old veterans in Brooks, he grabbed me right off the bat and we went to meetings in a schoolroom,” said Wagar. “We didn’t have a lounge or anything yet, although
they have now.” Wagar served as a Legion President for several years, as well as being on the Executive. At the Merritt Legion he lends a hand wherever he can these days, and also looks after the popular ‘meat draw’. From the Air Force, Wagar said he learned discipline and how to see something through to the end; there’s no quitting when you’re under orders. “I had a lot of fun too, there were a lot of good times,” said Wagar. “I’ve had an interesting life; it hasn’t been boring. And when you get a buddy in the service, they’re a real buddy, you really look after each other.” While in the service, Wagar and his fellow serviceman encountered some mean streets and rough customers. “These guys they’re going to whip you or something, well you stick together and take them on. That’s the best thing about being in the service, is that camaraderie.”
New cenotaph coming to Shulus T
Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM
he Nicola Valley First Nations Veterans Association (NVFNVA) is working towards the construction of a new cenotaph in Shulus that would honour the many Indigenous The DENTAL CLINIC veterans of the Nicola Valley. The project is a continuation of the work undertaken by Carol Dr. S.K. Saini Inc. Holmes of Upper Nicola Band to have proper military markers We owe it to those who no longer placed on the graves of Indigenous can speak to tell their story and veterans. Holmes began this work remember their sacrifice. in 2018/19 and has now placed around 15 markers, with at least one NEW PATIENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. on each local reserve. ance Day - NovemberHOURS 11, 2021 OF OPERATION “In Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm McLeod, Richard Jackon Jr., and Carol Holmes stand on the site of the proposed Turn to Page 9 June 2199 Quilchena Ave, Merritt • 250-378-6677 e will not be any ceremony at the Shulus Cenotaph in order to keep everyonespeaking safe cenotaph. MORGAN HAMPTON/Herald
9.
o participate in the Act of Remembrance from the safety of your own home and to inutes of silence at 11:00 am on November 11th. A recorded ceremony is available mand on YouTube - the link is on the LNIB website home page at lnib.net Remembrance Day - November Day 11, 2021 Remembrance -
For your SACRIFICE For our FREEDOM
November 11, 2021
This year there will not be any ceremony at the Shulus Cenotaph in order to keep everyone safe
e Act Remembrance fromof COVID 19. Remembrance Day November 11, 2021 This year there will not be- any ceremony atinthe Shulus Cenotaph We invite you to participate the Act of Remembrance from the safety of your own home and to l grow not old, that11:00 aream Thisas year there will notonbeNovember any ceremony at theceremony ShulusisCenotaph observe two minutes of we silence 11th. A recorded available in order to keep everyone safe in order to keepat-everyone safe from from to viewgrow on demand YouTube 19. the link is on the LNIB website home page at lnib.net left old;onCOVID COVID-19. all not weary them, nor the We invite you you to participate in inthe We invite to participate theAct Act of Remembrance from the safety of your own home and to years condemn. 1-877-612-0909 250-378-9410 Act of Remembrance ofThe Remembrance from of thesilence safetyatof11:00 am on November 11th. A recorded ceremony is available observe two minutes oing down of the sun and in www.tbmcleaningandrestoration.com to view on demand on YouTube the link is on the LNIB website home page at lnib.net your own home and to observe two They shall grow not old, as we that are the morning minutes of silence leftthem. grow old; at 11:00 am on e will remember This is the day we pay homage to November 11th.them, A recorded Age shall not weary nor the ceremony uy̓ xeʔ łək̓wminstm years condemn. is available toThe view on demand on Act of Remembrance all those who didn’t come home. At the going down of the sun and in YouTube - the link is on the LNIB the morning website home page at lnib.net. We will remember They shallthem. grow not old, as we that are xʷuy̓ xeʔ łək̓wminstm left grow old;
The Act of Remembrance
Age shall not weary them, nor the They shall grow now old,condemn. as we that are left grow old; years Age shall weary them, thesun years condemn. At not the going down nor of the and in As the going downthe of the sun and in the morning morning We We will will remember rememberthem. them.
xʷuy̓ xeʔ łək̓wminstm
‘Remembrance day is a day of solemn contemplation of the cost of freedom
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley From Page 8 to community members, family and leadership they all were saying that what we need is a cenotaph for our FN veterans,” said Holmes. “My contact with Veterans Affairs Canada let me know that there was a funding opportunity coming up regarding memorial monuments, and so I was excited about it.” Members of the NVFNVA, including Holmes, Richard Jackson, Jr. of Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB), Heather Shuter Trosky of LNIB, Percy Joe of Shackan, June McLeod of Coldwater and LNIB Communication Coordinator Ruth Tolerton, began planning for the new monument, despite their proposal being delayed due to COVID, wildfires and evacuations. The top priority when compiling information and ideas for the new cenotaph was to first find a place to erect it. “In the beginning when we first started our discussions about the monument specifically, we had also explored other places in Merritt,” explained Holmes. “We have the Nicola Valley Indian Services Association building, the five bands have property behind Extra Foods, there was also a suggestion for NVIT, and there’s a building behind Tracker Sportswear. But when we looked at it, and we did a list of pros and cons and what we need, some of the bigger things we looked at when deciding where we were going to place the monument were location, services provided, safety, access for others, washroom facilities, and parking.” The current monument, a collection of boulders that were placed near the LNIB firehall, has been in place for 18 years. However, this location has become more difficult to utilize as the community grows and Hwy. 8 becomes busier. “It has served its purpose, it’s been wonderful to have it there,” said Holmes. “We’ve had 18 years of celebrations and each year it grew, so parking started to become an issue and safety, because we were slowing down traffic on the main road and not wanting to see an injury.” However, after discussing all potential locations, the NVFNVA decided that the ideal location was still Lower Nicola. The Association approached LNIB and suggested a location near the Anglican Church Scw’exmx Parish Hall on LNIB lands as “an ideal spot”. LNIB agreed to the location and to provide up to an acre for the envisioned memorial wall. “I think LNIB took the initiative to have it here, and it’s been here for the last 18 years,” said Jackson. “So, we became the focal point of these ceremonies. And I think it’s really important that we have it on the reserve, because we’re First Nations it makes sense to have it here.” Holmes stressed the importance of collaboration,
which will not only increase the chances of the funding being granted, but also guarantees that everyone will be properly represented and that individuals from each band will be willing to pitch in and lend a hand on the project. A presentation was made to each of the five bands, as well as Conayt Friendship Centre, and all were happy with the idea. “The leadership was totally on board, totally engaged and very supportive of what we’re doing,” said Holmes. “There was nobody that said no, and they all supported this site. It was rewarding to know that the bands and Conayt centre all pulled together because this is an exciting project and opportunity for us.” According to the official synopsis by the NVFNVA, “The vision is to have three granite slabs engraved with the names of all of the Nicola Valley First Nations Veterans. The area would also include five benches representing the five Nicola Valley Bands, and a fire pit area. The existing rock monument would also be relocated to this area.” Holmes also hopes to gather and record the stories of those veterans whose names will be inscribed on the monument, with the ability to expand the memorial in the future if necessary. The work will be completed in phases and may also include a gazebo or similar structure. “To me, it would be an identity for honouring the veterans and having the five bands represented,” said Jackson. “It’s very important to have that identity of First Nations veterans, a place where everybody can come at their own time and sit and honour and pay respects. Your prayers, your songs, you don’t have to wait until Nov. 11.” Holmes also noted that Indigenous history is typically recorded and shared orally, and as veterans age and pass, their stories can be lost. Particularly the stories of those who served in WWI and WWII, during which time Indigenous people faced many hardships and heavyhanded racism at home. “Those are the first wars that our First Nations veterans participated in and many of them were volunteers,” said Holmes. “During that period of time there was a lot of discrimination and colonialism, and people, including our own people, aren’t really aware of our history of that particular time. So, what we also want to do is make sure not only we as First Nations know, but that the general population knows about our contributions to Canada… whether volunteering or enlisting in the war, or other peacetime efforts. This is our country, and that part of our history is important.” The Association also believes it’s an important part of Truth and Reconciliation to recognize the services of Indigenous veterans, who at that time were disenfranchised. The country that they served on the battlefields
overseas, sometimes paying the ultimate sacrifice, did not at that time recognize them as true Canadian citizens. In addition to being denied the right to vote, Indigenous people were not permitted to enter drinking establishments, or even to leave their reserves without written permission from an Indian Agent. In order to enlist in the military, First Nations individuals were first required to surrender their ‘Indian Status’. “The soldiers’ pay and benefits went to the families, but you had Indian Agents who said, ‘no no, these women don’t know how to manage their own funds and their families, so we’ll just dole it out to them as we see fit’, and a lot of the funds never even made it to them,” said Tolerton. “To me, the sacrifice of all these soldiers, not just First Nations but soldiers in general, was horrendous. But then to add that layer on top of it? It just blows my mind, and I think it’s high time that story was publicized.” The Association hopes to know if their application for funding was successful by the end of December and have set a tentative start date for the project as Apr. 1, 2022, aiming for completion by end of Oct. 2022. The funding, however, will not cover all costs. “Donations are a priority,” said Jackson. These donations could be monetary, in-kind, or volunteer hours. An architect, stonemason, and structural engineer will be needed. Donations can be made to the NVFNVA, in care of the host, LNIB. “Another big part of the project is gratitude,” concluded Holmes. “For us to be grateful for our veterans, and to be grateful for our country. We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’re grateful for what we have.”
Highland Valley Copper Remembering those who served, thank you for your service and sacrifice. ‘Lest We Forget.’
hvc.feedback@teck.com 1.855.523.3429 PO Box 1500, Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0
Remembrance Day
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We shall not forget.
Aspen Planers Ltd. www.aspenplaners.ca
10B • WEDNESDAY, November
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Remembrance Day
Robert Charters (Seated)
Cacuse Garcia
Eddie LaRochelle
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Edith Carr
Smitty Bent and Dave Shuter
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Reg Eagles
WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2021 • 11B
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Alway s ose who remember th you r fought fo r freedom! Alec McIvor, John (Tona) Garcia, Camp Borden, Ont. c. 1940
Elva & Sam Reid
Eric Munro
Ernie Sing
Romeo’s
2760 Forksdale Ave, Merritt, BC
Please take a moment to remember all those who served in our armed forces and those who serve today.
Smith Bent & Tim Voght
International Insurance Brokers Fabian LaRochelle
Faye Gay
Frank Archer
250-378-5147
#122 - 1700 Garcia St
Lest we forget those who gave us so much.
Phillip, Willfred, Leo Boulanger
Melvin (Buster) Curnow
Fred Geater
George Hunter
How important it is, for us to recognize and celebrate those who have served and are serving, that we remain free.
Fred McDougall
George Kinvig
Gaylord Blankenship
Gordon Curnow
HOURS: Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. CLOSED SUNDAYS
2025 Coutlee Ave., Merritt
250-378-2332
Lest We Forget...
Nicola Valley & District Metis Society
NOVEMBER 11 Take time to remember the men & women who have fought for our country and who continue to fight .
NOV 11
Remembrance Day NEW PATIENTS & WALK-INS WELCOME
GENERAL DENTISTS & SPECIALIST ORTHODONTISTS AVAILABLE
Call
250-378-4888 to book your appointment. 2731 Forksdale Avenue, V1K 1R9
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Dr. J. Sarao-DMD, Dr. S. Malhotra-DDS, Dr. R. Dutt-DMD
HOURS
Tuesday: 9 am - 6 pm Wednesday - Thursday: 9 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday: 9 am - 4 pm
If you would like more information on our society please call 250-378-5015 or 250-378-0076 • email: mcdomic@shaw.ca • Facebook: Nicola Valley Metis
Teachers and students honour the sacrifices of the past and work for peace in the future. A message from the Nicola Valley Teachers Union
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Remembrance Day
Remembering the men and women and the sacrifices they made.
ICBC & PRIVATE INSURANCE CLAIMS
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Take Time to Honour those we lost...lest we forget
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250-378-5141
Remembrance Day
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Fred Dodding
Fred Gay
J.J. Johnston
Jack Ewart
George B. Armstrong
George Hazlehurst
George Hogg
Roberta Mathews Birk
Geofrey Curnow
Gordon Geater
Harold Hunter
Bill Berkley
Bart Dodding
Ceremony
Thursday, November 11 - 10 am Laying of wreaths - 11 am Merritt Civic Centre Ceremony to take place outside this year and participation is by invitation. The Ceremony will be videotaped and will be posted on Legion Facebook Page COVID Protocols and regulations will be followed Businesses, organizations and individuals wishing to purchase a wreath please call the Legion at 250-378-5631 or email Legion096@outlook.com
Harold Mosley
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Serving the Nicola Valley since 1960.
250-378-5121 1301 Nicola Ave., Merritt CASCADE DENTAL
We hold dear to us the efforts and sacrifices our heroes have made, that an appreciation of the values they fought for will live on in all Canadians.
Dr. Comarin & Dr. Denison #110-1700 Garcia St. (Located Downtown in The Railyard Mall) Ph: 250-378-4000
WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2021 • 13B
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley
Take the time to REMEMBER those who fought for your freedoms.
2776 Voght St., Merritt Al Hartwell
Alan Leonard
Albert E. (Dick) Stapleton
Alexander Watson Lonie
Henry Ralph Blumenauer
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FRANK’S MECHANICAL SERVICE
Remember those who fought for our freedom Alec Cousin Jr.
Andy Garcia
Allan Eagles
Allan Leonard
Alphonse Garcia
2026 Mamette Avenue
378-1322
Lest we Forget Annie Lauder
Bill Palagain
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Archie Allan
Archie Hardy Sr.
Tom McGrath
Bill Voght
Billy McLeod
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Henry Koller
“A HERO is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself”
Joseph Campbell Phone: 250-378-6170 Email: journeys@live.ca
On this Remembrance Day, we pay tribute to those past and present who served our country with courage and compassion
Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca • 1-800-665-8711
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Remembrance Day John Linney
Leslie Gerrard
Johnny Curnow
Lloyd Barrett
Joseph Coutlee aka Young Joe
Lloyd Fairley
Keith Huston
Ken Berkley
Ken Fairley
Mae Elliott
Major Harold Mathews
Matt Hogan
James Edward Dunnigan
Jack Shaw
Nellie Blankenship
Nelson Atkinson
Norman Rogers
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Rab Williamson
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Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave
~ Elijah Muhammad
WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2021 • 15B
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley
Jack Lockhart
Cecil Grinstead
Cecil Hunter
Charles Howse
Dave Shuter
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Richard Jackson Jr.
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James Alexander Hogg
Charlie Stirling
Chubb Kirby
Jessie Maxwell
David Hogg
David Moyes
Denis Curnow
Jim Maxwell, Doug Maxwell, Ben Shaw
Don Peerenboon
Donna McLeod
Dorothy Langstaff
NOVEMBER 11, 2021
REMEMBER THE SACRIFICE Conayt Friendship Society wishes to honour all the First Nations men & women who served to protect all of us.
Thank You, KwuKwscemxw Richard
Des Vicars
Tona Garcia
Dick Goodall
Earl Walker
16B • WEDNESDAY, November
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Give thanks to those who fought for our country. 250-315-0208 3623 DeWolf St.
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1960 QUILCHENA AVE. BESIDE THE LEGION
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6 returned men L-R: Ken Moyes, Gordon Cameron, Percy Boyd, Maurice Hunter, Billy Drybourgh, Ronnie Laidlaw
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Gilbert Woods
Sterling, Frederick Albert
Gord McDonald
Thomas Rodgers
Remember Them for they gave Everything
John Dalton
George Cressy Jr.,
Lawrence Smith
Carl Mierau
Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary
THE THRIFT SHOP 1803 Voght St., Merritt, BC • www.nvhealthcareaux.ca • 250-378-9100
Ralph Hack
Henry Abel
Birdie Alice Clarkson
In honour of �e men and women who fought f� our fr�dom. Trust.
FULL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE
2649 Granite Ave., located next to Best Valu-Glass • Ph: 250-378-2442 • Fax: 250-378-2448 • www.fountaintire.com
WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2021 • 17B
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley
Kenneth Duncan Ellis & Lloyd Hoyne Ellis
Norman and Allan Dixon
“YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD DRUG STORE”
Always remember the one’s who fought so hard.
Brothers Bill and Archie Allan
TAKE A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE with our
BLACK’S PHARMACY
window display commemorating those who fought forINour country! MERRITT LOCATED DOWNTOWN 2037 QUILCHENA AVE. James S. Moodie
Stan Pattinson
Ian Urquhart
Roy Brown
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Joe Quinville
Proud to acknowledge our WAR HEROES who fought so hard for our freedom. Willie Fountain
Mr. Mingay
Cyril Cartwright
Russel Eagles
Pete Meckler
Robert Harold Hooper
Mel Woodford
Paul Yemstrowsky
Mike Bob
In business since 1967
Percy Joe
1750 Hill Street, Merritt
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Remembrance Day “And they who for their country die shall fill an honoured grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” —Joseph Drake
MERRITT HERALD
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In the memory of many, In honour of all, Thank-you.
Remembrance Day
BOX 819, MERRITT, BC V1K 1B8 TEL: 250-378-5010 • FX: 250-378-5014
With deep gratitude for our serving and fallen Archie York by the Ship Majestic
Jack Veale
With deep gratitude for our Soldiers this Remembrance Day. With deep gratitude forand our fallen Soldiers serving serving and May we never forget that our freedom was not free. fallen thisSoldiers Remembrance Day.
James Moyes Senior
this Remembrance Day. Proudly offering a variety of free Employment Services to
we never forget that Merritt and surrounding areas. May we neverMay forget that our freedom With deep gratitude for our serving and fallen our freedom was not free. was not free. Soldiers this Remembrance Day.
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Proudly offering a variety of free Employment Services to Earnest Sowerby Find us at 2099 Quilchena Ave. Find us at 2099 Quilchena Ave. or call us at 250-378-5151Merritt and surrounding areas. or call us at 250-378-5151 www.merrittesc.ca
Bill & Jim Dunnigan
William J. Koller
Bernard and Frank Dunnigan
Brian Dustin
Austin Williams
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t e g r o F e Lest W
Always er Rememb
the sacrifices others have made
250-378-4695
Harold Newman
Harry J. Winny
Stanley Reginald Smith
Ted Taylor
Harry Purvis
Teddy Gerrard
Tommy Williams
Walter Forsyth
2145 Quilchena Ave., Merritt
Remembrance Day
We will not forget . . .
Thank you for your service, your courage, your sacrifice.... FOR OUR FREEDOM
Merritt Funeral Chapel
WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2021 • 19B
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Remembering all those who served from the Nicola Valley
Nicola Plumbing & Heating Remember those who sacrificed so much for our freedom. We offer: residential, new construction, renovations, light commercial and light industrial.
2064 Coutlee Ave
A piece of our history Canadians recognize Remembrance Day, originally called Armistice Day, every Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. It marks the end of hostilities during the First World War and is an opportunity to recall all those who have served in the nation’s defence.
ARMISTICE DAY Armistice Day was inaugurated in 1919 throughout much of the British Empire, but on the second Monday in November. In 1921, the Canadian Parliament passed an Armistice Day bill to observe ceremonies on the first Monday in the week of Nov. 11, but this combined the event with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. For much of the 1920s, Canadians observed the date with little public demonstration.
250-378-4943
Veterans and their families gathered in churches and around local memorials, but observances involved few other Canadians. In 1928, some prominent citizens, many of them veterans, pushed for greater recognition and to separate the remembrance of wartime sacrifice from the Thanksgiving holiday. In 1931, the federal government decreed that the newly named Remembrance Day would be observed on Nov. 11 and moved Thanksgiving Day to a different date. Remembrance Day would emphasize the memory of fallen soldiers instead of the political and military events leading to victory in the First World War. http://www.warmuseum.ca
REMEMBER THEM GENERATION TO GENERATION
Stuwix Resources Joint Venture 250-378-2277 Photo by Stijn Swinnen on Unsplash
IN HONOR OF ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND CONTINUE TO SERVE.
Why the poppy? The association between the poppy and war dates back to the Napoleonic wars, when a writer saw a field of poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers. During the Battle of Ypres in 1915, Canadian Lt.-Col. John McCrae was inspired to write the poem In Flanders Fields on sighting the poppies growing beside a grave of a close friend who had died in battle. The poem was a great inspiration in adopting the poppy as the Flower of Remembrance in Canada, France, the U.S., Britain and Commonwealth countries. The first poppies were distributed in Canada in 1921. Today the volunteer donations from the distribution of millions of poppies is an important source of revenue for the Royal Canadian Legion that goes toward helping ex-servicemen and women buy food, and obtain shelter and medical attention.
MERRITT
merrauto@live.ca
We will never forget the sacrifices our veterans made for our freedom. Phone: 250-378-0700 www.bestwestern.com
2549 Nicola Ave., Merritt
250-378-4821
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ctober 10, 19 O e th in n e se Advertising as erritt Herald M e th f o n io it ed
Thank you to all the men and women who served and are currently serving, to keep our country safe!
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