Articles

Santa was right there in the bedroom!

By Willard Boschman – Saskatoon, Sask. On Dec. 24, 1946, my brother Arnold was 11 years old, Marvin was 10, I was eight, my sister Lola was four, and James was two. We lived at [more…]

War’s outbreak saw mother left to raise six in a one-room house

By Angele Dalby – Penticton, B.C. When the Second World War began, the young men and women who were conscripted or volunteered went off to war. After a short training session they were shipped overseas [more…]

Museum exhibit symbolizes Air Force sacrifice

By John Fefchak – Virden, Man. At the 15 Wing Military Museum at CFB Moose Jaw, there’s an exhibit that symbolizes the sacrifices of our Air Force personnel. In the darkened room, there is a small [more…]

Father’s shell shock lasted long after war

By Irene Armitage – Hamiota, Man. My parents were born in Cornwall, England, and married in 1920. Dad was a tin miner before the First World War, but mines were closing and there was no [more…]

“Goose Squadron” fell from the night sky

By Patty Haun Roos – Victoria, B.C. My grandma always talked about her younger brother Rudy and how his plane was shot down by the Germans in WWII. She said that was the day her whole [more…]

In Flanders Fields written to honour the fallen

By Joe Ralko – Columnist for The Senior Paper “We are the Dead.” I do not recall how old I was the first time I heard or read that sentence from the poem In Flanders [more…]

‘A wave of pride went through all of us’

By Bernie Dawson – Saskatoon, Sask. When I was growing up, I never really became too involved or thought too much about Nov. 11. The veterans I knew wouldn’t talk about the war. While you knew [more…]

Prairie pipe band gave a royal performance

By James McWilliams – Surrey, B.C. I grew up in Moose Jaw until I joined the Canadian Army the day after my 18th birthday. After years as a soldier, then a student at three universities, a [more…]

Eagle’s beak was dangerously close to my face

By Jeanette Armella – Prince George, B.C. In January 2017, after feeding fat and bread to my birds – ravens, magpies, and eagles – I looked up the road to the corner and saw a [more…]

This grandfather is on his feet for a great cause

By Tom Creighton – Winnipeg, Man. My grandkids call me Papa. I’m celebrating my 80th birthday this year by completing a “virtual walk across Canada” – from Vancouver to Halifax – with the goal of raising [more…]

Dad excited about his first fairly-modern tractor

By Ralph Barker – North Battleford, Sask. In 1945, my father, John (Jack) Barker of Sandwith, Sask., found and bought an W4 International gas tractor and an eight-foot one-way discer. He arranged to have them [more…]

Remains of WWI soldiers finally laid to rest

By Gavin Wood – Regina, Sask. Sgt. Archibald Wilson was born on Feb. 12, 1892 in Wilten, Stirling, Scotland. He came to Canada in the early 1900s along with several siblings and eventually they took [more…]

Reflection: My beautiful back yard

By Ruby Smith – Victoria, B.C. I sit in my back yard and enjoy all the things around me. All the beautiful flowers, the fruit trees, the apples and blueberries. How Elmer loved those trees. It’s [more…]

Engineer took short naps on the straight stretches

By George Rose – Calgary, Alta. Being a train engineer was a cinch compared to being a fireman during the steam engine days. My train, on which I was the fireman, had arrived at Fox Valley, [more…]

Girls harnessed cow as Halloween prank

By Doris (Russell) Anderson – Grenfell, Sask. I’ll never forget my first and only Halloween prowl. I was a student at a country high school in central Saskatchewan and a classmate coerced four of us [more…]

Team’s nostrils and muzzles were whiskered in white

By Gerald Richards – Brandon, Man. After Christmas at Grandma’s, or the Christmas concert at the village hall, or one of the many house or card parties we attended – after we had said our [more…]

Father forced to leave his girls behind

By Anna Cooper – Macklin, Sask. When my mother became very ill during her sixth pregnancy and was hospitalized in the late 1930s, never to be released, hardship fell upon our family. Dad was devastated and [more…]

Depression-era experiences imprinted on the senses

By Franklin Vick – Prince Albert, Sask. The Great Depression of the 1930s brought difficult economic times upon the families in our community. Money was an extremely scarce commodity. It was a time of hand-me-down clothes, [more…]

Many people collected bones for the war effort

By Phil Leidl – Kelowna, B.C. I was seven years old, growing up in Leipzig, Sask., when the military put out a call for animal bones. It was WWII and the bones were being collected [more…]

Fond memories from antique shop find

By Wes Lonoway – McTaggart, Sask. My nostalgic trip began after a summer family barbecue. You know what it’s like after a meal with family. Some of the children are running off their newfound energy. [more…]