After a busy summer, I have a few updates to share!
Technical difficulties postponed my August presentation for Kenora’s Kenora’s The Muse (The Lake of the Woods Museum and the Douglas Family Art Centre), but I’m happy to announce that this Sunday, October 20th, 2024, I will be doing another virtual presentation.
Coinciding with the museum’s new exhibit, Temporary Enemies, Permanent Friends: Prisoners of war on Lake of the Woods, I will be presenting my research on prisoners of war working for the Ontario-Minnesota Pulp & Paper Company’s. I’ll be taking a look into the lives of hundreds of these POWs who lived and worked in the company’s camps in the Lake of the Woods area between 1943 and 1946. Using period photographs, art, archival records, and memoirs, I will explore at how prisoners reacted and adapted to their new lives in the bush.
The presentation starts at 7pm CDT and you can tune in by clicking HERE.
For those who were following my last post about POWs working on farms in Southern Manitoba, there has been some exciting updates. Thanks to the help of some members of the Vintage Southern Manitoba group on Facebook, the farmer and owner of the truck has been identified as most likely William (Bill) McFadden. Bill McFadden was employed by the Manitoba Sugar Company during the war and was known to have employed POWs on his farm north of Emerson. Many thanks to those who contributed! If you missed the post, a link can be found below.
Lastly, some new pages relating to the Veterans Guard of Canada have been added to the site. Take a look by clicking one of the links below.
No. 23 Company, Veterans Guard of Canada (No. 10A Coy.)
This page looks at the history of and men who served with No. 23 Company of the Veterans Guard. This company was raised from volunteers from Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
No. 26 Company, Veterans Guard of Canada (No. 11B Coy.)
The next page has numerous photos of No. 11B Company (later No. 26 Coy), which was made up of volunteers almost exclusively from Vancouver Island.
Arms and Equipment
Lastly, “Arms and Equipment” looks at the various types of weapons issued to and used by the Veterans Guard of Canada between 1940 and 1947.
POWs in Canada 