Flipping through the BC/Yukon Command In Service of Canada Military Service Recognition Book, it is easy to see how Canada’s visible minorities contributed to the diversity in Canada we know today.
Here is a snapshot of a few veterans from the WWII era. All of these stories, and more, can be found in copies of the Military Service Recognition Book. You can find digital copies here.
In WWII, Gordon Quan fought for Canada without the right to vote. The Chinese-Canadian and other ethnic contributions to the war effort, could not be ignored. As a result, policies on immigration, citizenship, and voting rights were all updated after WWII.
David Brideau is the newest President of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #139 Williams Lake.
David was born in Montreal, Quebec, but spent most of my childhood in Beniot, New Brunswick. He has always felt a deep sense of pride and duty for his country, which urged him to join the Canadian Armed Forces at the age of eighteen. Recruited out of Bathurst, New Brunswick, David his basic military training in Saint-Jean, Quebec, and his trades training in Borden, Ontario. He was then stationed at the Edmonton Garrison.
Gardom Lake Campground (Enderby, BC)
These biographies were taken from BC/Yukon Command Military Service Recognition Book (MSRB) Volume 4, p.37. You can download and learn more about our veterans young, and as they age each year.
Or, request a copy of the latest edition of the MSRB from your local branch.
* Lt. Col.
Ed Koski has a military history as a cadet and a veteran, since that experience he’s spent most of his life working to connect Canadians on the Railway. In fact, he spent thirty-seven years with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Elliot Cristall was a member of the Pender Harbour Branch 112, quietly staying in the background for eleven years when he was called because some of their tables needed repair.
Alice Olson has been a very busy woman, raising eleven children while working and volunteering in her community!
A World War II Veteran, Alice served with the Canadian Women’s Army Corps from 1943 to 1945. Arriving in Valemount with her family in 1956, she joined the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #266, at its inception in 1965.
BC/Yukon students created fantastic posters, essays and poems that express what Remembrance means to them and their country.
Video Contest Winners
1st Place - Chloe Tam - "Remember" - Grade 8 - West Point Grey