TABLE OF CONTENTS
Hong Kong Veterans’ Commemorative Association
Winnipeg Grenadier’s Hong Kong Trust Fund
President’s Report
Your Colour Party and I attended the services in Lac du Bonnet in June and presented a plaque to the President of the local Royal Canadian Legion Branch in honour of the men from that area that fought with us in Hong Kong. The plaque was well received by the members. We were also at the unveiling of the Peacekeepers Cairn on Memorial Boulevard on August 8, 2004.
Our Memorial Committee has met several times in the last three months and we are pleased to report the progress made. We are presently consulting with Mr. Garry Hilderman of the firm, Landscape Architecture & Planning Associates and Mr. Rick Thain, Municipal Cemeteries Administrator for Winnipeg. Mr. Hilderman’s company was responsible for projects like the Forks, and Mr. Leo Mol’s display of sculpture in Assiniboine Park, both of these projects are in Winnipeg. As I reported earlier we are looking into the possibility of erecting a memorial interpretative centre in Brookside Cemetery. We anticipate meeting with the Winnipeg City Council, Provincial government and other interested parties before the end of this month. The meeting will be for information with a presentation of our plans and request from the City. Mr. Hilderman will be our spokesman and after his remarks the meeting will be open for questions and discussion. We do not expect definite answers at this time nor will we be making commitments on behalf of the Association. An information package with the proposals will be mailed to all HKVA Presidents for their perusal and comments. This package should be discussed with their members and the Regions of the HKVCA.
Any of you who have been under the weather – may you improve soon. Once again may you have a smooth road to travel and the wind always in your back.
In comradeship
George N. Peterson.
œ œ œ œ
Hong Kong Veterans’ Commemorative Association
Hello to one and all;
Well we had a wet summer as you all know and they say we will have a hard cold winter, but can we really rely on what the weather stations say?
We have been busy in Winnipeg. We had our second Tea and Tidbits afternoon with the ladies and it was great. We had 14 in attendance, but we would like to see more ladies come out. There will be another one in late February or early March.
George and I have attended several functions as he as told you in his report. He keeps me hoping.
I have been busy getting things prepared for the Reunion that was held this past weekend. This year all who attended received a table decoration. There were approximately 140 people in attendance; 10 were Veterans. The veterans were: George Peterson, Garfield Lowe, Joe Michalko, John Maruschak, Grant Shepherd, John James, Larry Stebbe, Reg Riddoch, Freddie Poitras, and Bob Lytle. There was a lot of fun had by all .The following people helped me make this night possible The Holiday Inn with their excellent staff, Bev Rowden (my daughter) Lucy Yestrau (friend) helped with the decorations, Lora Wachtendorf, Lianne Frenette, David Frenette, Bonnie Wiebe and her friend and Emily Britton sold the tickets for the Silent auction & L.N.D. Bridget MacDougall (my daughter ) Linda Sloan (my sister) helped with the Silent Auction. The following people donated some great gifts Constance & Barry Mitchell, Carol & Allan Hadley, Dorothy Morris, Grant & Margaret Shepherd, Sid & Les Collett (Collett Electronics) George & Margaret Peterson, Alison & Gary Griffith (Keyport Transport), Mr & Mrs Michalko, Mr & Mrs D Wilson (D.V.D.) Pam & Bert Heinrichs (Myers Weinberg LLP ), St Boniface Bag, Harry Yestrau and myself. If I didn't get your name down please forgive me as I did miss some of the people putting gifts on the table. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you. To all who attended, thanks for coming - it was great to see you.
As far as the monument goes, Vince Lopata gave us short presentation of what might take place if all goes well. It would be like a dream come true and we all have to work together to get this off the ground. If you have any comments on the monument please forward them to the Monument committee - they would like some feedback on this. You can send your comments to the committee by going to the H.K.V.C.A. web site look under Monument.
Well time to take leave, until the next time -Take Care and God be with you - Juliet Lafortune
338-3354 or 294-9335.
œ œ œ œ
Last Post
Raymond Drouin, RRC, E30717 died February 07, 2003
Allan R. Harper, RRC, B68233 died October 03, 2004
Eldon MacWhirter, RRC, E29959 died October 7th, 2004
Air Commodore Leonard J. Birchall (Retired) died September 10, 2004
John F. Webb, RRC, E-30579 died October 9, 2004
J.C. (Chris) Webb, RRC, E-30576 died October 12, 2004
HKVCA
Charlie Gordon, WWII veteran, friend of the HKVA
Dorothy
Lockhart, widow of Maurice
Lockhart, RRC
during the week of June 20th, 2004
Beth Agerbak, widow of Knud Agerbak, WG, August 30, 2004
Our thoughts and prayers are extended to all the families and friends as we share in your grief.
We will remember them.
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Notes from Barry Mitchell
Treasurer and Membership
Warm greeting to all HKVA and Commemorative members from Sunny Manitoba!
Your Treasurer had a very quiet summer as far as memberships are concerned but now that we are coming up on a new year I expect our mailbox to bring me lots of cheques and to keep me busy licking envelopes as I send out membership cards, receipts and decals.
I extend a special welcome to those who are receiving this newsletter for the first time. We have about a half dozen new members in the Manitoba Region and it is refreshing to know that we continue to find good folks who share our interest in the Hong Kong Vets and their Association.
On the other hand, we had to drop five people from our mailing list as they had not paid their dues for three consecutive years. We feel we are more than patient by continuing to maintain contact for that length of time when there has not been any sign of continuing interest. We hope that you won’t become one of our ‘lapsed’ members and that we can expect to receive your dues on time at the beginning of the year.
Our fees remain the same at $15.00 per year and can be sent to P.O. Box 381, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H6.
The Manitoba office still has a wide variety of HK-related goods for sale and we encourage you to take this opportunity to order one or more of these unique items. The latest addition to ‘Barry’s Emporium’ is the excellent book No Reason Why by Carl Vincent. This book has been out of print for some time but we recently came across a supply of the printer’s inventory and a few dozen copies are now available to our members for $37.00 plus shipping. Also in stock are lapel pins ($5.00), WG ties ($30.00), sweatshirts ($20.00), videos ($15.00) and the book 17 Days Until Christmas ($20.00). Please make out your cheque to HKVCA and be sure to add a few bucks for shipping.
Not much mail came our way over the summer but a few notes did arrive which we share with you. Frank Nunas of Edmonton, AB dropped us a line to let us know that while he never was in Hong Kong, he was a Winnipeg Grenadier from the beginning of the war and served in Jamaica where the Canadian unit was charged with guarding P.O.W.s. Frank was discharged from the army due to poor health and returned to Canada shortly before the Regiment was sent home.
We always enjoy hearing from our friends in Ontario and this includes the many greeting cards we receive from Lloyd O’Leary in Thunder Bay. We also received a brief note from Thelma Lajeunesse in Keewatin who assures us she is doing well and working hard to keep up her house.
From a little farther west we heard from Ralph MacLean of the Alberta/Saskatchewan Region/Branch in Calgary. Ralph sent a generous personal donation for the national organization, a gesture we certainly appreciate and thank him for.
I am so pleased with the headway the Commemorative Association is making with regards to placing the Hong Kong story in school curriculum. Province by province, we are slowly gaining access to the classroom thanks to the pioneering work done in preparing teaching guides in British Columbia and Ontario. As a small start in Manitoba, it was a treat to recently write a cheque for $500.00 to the Ontario HKVCA for copies of their “10 Lessons” which we will supply to the Winnipeg School Division. We expect to be paid back but the point is that the educators are keen to tell our story in the classroom. Congratulations to all those who are working so hard to see that our story is properly told. This is truly a worthwhile project and I see it continuing to grow as we develop more and more resources.
Thanks to all those who have sent in their dues. Remember, 2005 is just around the corner, so keep us in mind when you next get out your chequebook. And another reminder—we do spend time tracking down our “missing” members so we would appreciate a change-of-address card when you make your next move.
Cheers for now,
Barry Mitchell
From the Editor
WOW! Have you seen the web site, www.hkvca.ca, lately? I think it is looking really great. Thanks to our Web Master, Linda May, with the assistance of Jim Trick and Mike Babin, the site is easier to navigate and is gathering loads of information.
I hope all the Regions will use the website to post current events and projects that are happening in your area and to promote future events also.
We are collecting veterans’ stories and encourage the wives and widows to submit their experiences also. If you have difficulty writing, perhaps a family member will write it down for you or a tape recorder could be used. We will have it transcribed, send you a copy for you and your family and post it on the website. Ed Shayler and his comrades in Alberta-Saskatchewan have some posted on the web site now for all to read. There are also links there for other veterans’ stories.
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In July, I attended the Pilot Mound 100th Anniversary festivities and assisted Bill Mayne, the last surviving Winnipeg Grenadier from that town, in presenting a special plaque to the Pilot Mound Legion commemorating the C Force members from that town. The other members of C Force were: Borge (Buster) Agerbak, Knud (Ken) Agerbak, Tage (Tiger) Agerbak, Richard Currie, Edwin Currie, William Fordyce, John Hay, Guy Stewart, Keith Stewart, Edward Toews and Harley Winram.
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I had a phone call from Mrs. Cardinal when she was in town visiting family and she brought me up to date on how Charlie was doing. He enjoys the newsletters that are sent out – so big Hi to Charlie Cardinal and thanks for keeping in touch.
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John Pollock keeps in touch with us in Manitoba – he wouldn’t be able to make the Reunion in October but is planning on attending the National Convention in Ottawa in 2005. See you there John!
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Congratulations to George Harbour, who was recently married, but we missed you and Sophie at the Reunion George. Hope you kick that flu soon.
! ! !
Dick Wilson had a couple of falls and was missed at the HK luncheon in October – hope you are better Dick.
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I talked with Helen Prieston and she is still having difficulties with her legs and uses a wheelchair. Hope things work out for you and Judy – we missed you at the reunion.
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We heard recently that Jack Smith, President of Alberta-Saskatchewan Branch is still in hospital– we wish you a quick recovery.
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By time you read this newsletter, the Manitoba HKVCA Education Committee[1] will have made a presentation at the Annual SAG Conference for Social Science Teachers supporting the use of the 10 Lessons curriculum to be used in our schools. We will be working with the MB School Divisions to supply resources to supplement the lessons to aid the teachers.
Recently we learned that the Atlantic Region, have initiated discussion to have the curriculum included in New Brunswick. We know that Ontario Region are working toward translating the curriculum for use in the French Immersion schools – hopefully that will be soon. This will be a big step in bringing recognition to our Hong Kong veterans.
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Estate planning
I am addressing a topic that we don’t like to think about – estate planning. This stage in your life is more important than planning marriage, family and retirement since you will not be there to implement it. Angus McRitchie, my predecessor, had a document that he sent to bereaved families to assist them with final arrangements. I hope to take it one step further by giving you an outline to begin the process. You are never too old to have your affairs in place and it is a great benefit for your family to know your wishes and more cost efficient to have the arrangements pre-planned. After consultation with a well-known professional and member of our Association, Eirik Bardal has offered assistance.
PREPARATION:
As we cannot predict the future we should be prepared with the following in place:
- Always have a current, up-dated Will identifying an Executor – this is important for all financial institutions, insurance companies, etc to ensure that your wishes are upheld.
- Have a file outlining your assets and liabilities, also any pre-arrangements - all documents are required to finalize your affairs along with the name of your lawyer.
With these items in place your family will be able to deal with the final arrangements efficiently and without difficulties. Any time there is a change in your family’s situation, reflect the change in your Will – it will prevent future problems.
EXECUTOR:
When your position has been initiated, begin with gathering and organizing necessary documentation: review the Will; safeguard assets and beneficiaries; list assets and liabilities; and meet with a lawyer.
Next begin the filing and notification process by: making arrangements to probate the Will, file for benefits; notify income providers and creditors; and cancel services and suppliers.
When all the items above have been completed it is time to close the estate by settling all accounts; distributing the assets; filing tax returns and securing releases.
This information is just a brief outline to show that there are many steps in finalizing an estate but with proper planning the process can be expedited.
If you require more detail or assistance with this process please contact:
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Eirik Bardal or c/o Neil Bardal Inc 984 Portage Ave Winnipeg, MB R3G 0R6 (204) 949-2200
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PO Box 381 Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H6 |
© © © ©
History Television will be showing a new production called “For King and Country” which will begin on November 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2004 – check your local television listings to see the time in your area. This production will have a segment on the battle of Hong Kong of which many of our members have contributed.
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BOOKS!
“No Reason Why” by Carl Vincent - this book is out of print now, however the Commemorative have purchased some publishers copies. Take advantage of this great opportunity - cost of the book is $37.00 + postage. Make cheque payable to HKVCA and send your request to our address below for prompt service from Barry’s Emporium.
© © © ©
Convention 2005
Make plans to attend the 60th Anniversary of V-J Day in the nation’s capital.
! See the Changing of the Guard
! Tour the Parliament Buildings
! Take a boat ride on the world famous Rideau Canal
! Shop on the Sparks Street Mall
! And much more ….
While you are here, plan on attending our Biannual Convention being held August 12th through 14th, 2005. Arrangements have been made at the Lord Elgin hotel, which is centrally located, and in walking distance of most of Ottawa’s points of interest.
In addition to the memorial service which will be held at Canada’s War Memorial, we hope to have available the following special activities:
# a visit with the Governor General at Rideau Hall
# a special tour of the new War Museum
# plus much more
Watch your Corporate and Region Newsletters for more, and updated information. Registration Packages will be mailed out in April 2005, but block your calendar now!
© © © ©
** “Honour & Pride” is a CD produced by Cove Records Inc., with the assistance of our Padre - Rev. Gordon Shields, to assist anyone who is organizing a memorial or funeral service for veterans. The CD has the correct order of service and music to enhance any event. There are 2 distributors for “Honour and Pride” now, Royal Canadian Legion – Dominion Command Kit-Shop, 359 Kent St., Ottawa, ON K2P 0R7 and McNally Robinson Booksellers at www.mcnallyrobinson.ca. The cost of the CD is $25.00 plus taxes (and shipping and handling where applicable).
© © © ©
Winnipeg Grenadier’s Hong Kong Trust Fund
- Donna Remillard
The Winnipeg Grenadiers Hong Kong Trust Fund provides financial assistance to the issue of The Winnipeg Grenadiers HK Veterans for their pursuit of higher learning.
All donations are most gratefully appreciated. Cheques should be written to Winnipeg Grenadier's Hong Kong Trust Fund (not HKVA).
Application inquiries and donations to this fund may be directed to:
Donna Remillard, 303 - 740 Kenaston Boulevard, Winnipeg, MB R3N 1Y3
Tel: (204) 489-0008.
Humour
CSI......Newfoundland style.........
Clyde the Newfie died in a fire and was burnt
pretty bad and the morgue needed someone to identify the body. So his two best
friends, Clem and Zeke, were called.
Clem went in and the mortician pulled back the sheet. Clem said,
"Yup, he's burnt pretty bad. Roll him over." So the mortician rolled
him over and Clem
looked down and said: "Nope, it ain't Clyde."
The mortician thought that was rather strange. Then he
brought Zeke in to identify the body and Zeke took a look at him and said,
"Yup, he's burnt real bad. Roll him over." The mortician rolled him
over and Zeke down and said: "No, it ain't Clyde."
The mortician asked, "How can you tell?"
Zeke said: "Well, Clyde had two a_holes."
"What? He had two a_holes?" said the mortician.
"Yup, everyone in town knew he had two a_holes. Every time the three
of us went to town, folks would say: "Here comes Clyde with them two a_holes."
· · · · ·
A group of Canadians were traveling by tour bus
through Holland. As they stopped at a cheese farm, a young guide led them
through a process of cheese making, explaining that goat milk was used.
She showed the group a lively hillside where many goats were grazing.
These, she explained, were the older goats put out to pasture when they
no longer produced.
She then asked, "What do you do in Canada with your old goats?"
A spry old gentleman answered, "They send us on bus tours."
· · · · ·
A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly her husband burst into the kitchen. Careful ... CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful ... CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!" The wife stared at him. What the heck is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?" The husband calmly replied, I wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving with you in the car."
· · · · ·
Ever wonder why golf is growing in popularity and why people who don't even play go to tournaments or watch it on TV? The following truisms may shed some light:
Golf is an honorable game, with the overwhelming
majority of players being honorable people who don't need referees.
Golfers don't have some of their players in jail every week.
Golfers don't kick dirt on, or throw bottles at, other people.
Professional golfers are paid in direct proportion to how well they play.
Golfers don't get per diem and two seats on a charter flight when they travel
between tournaments.
Golfers don't hold out for more money, or demand new contracts, because of
another player's deal.
Professional golfers don't demand that the taxpayers pay for the courses on
which they play. When golfers make a mistake, nobody is there to cover for
them or back them. The PGA raises more money for charity in 1 year than the
NFL does in 2.
You can watch the best golfers in the world up close, at any tournament,
including the majors, all day every day for $25 or $30. The cost for even a
nosebleed seat at the Super Bowl costs around $300 or more unless you buy it
from scalpers in which case it's $1,000+.
You can bring a picnic lunch to the tournament golf course, watch the
best in the world and not spend a small fortune on food and drink. Try that at
one of the taxpayer funded baseball or football stadiums. If you bring a soft
drink into a ballpark, they'll give you two options -- get rid of it or leave.
In golf you cannot fail 70% of the time and make $9 million a season,
like the best baseball hitters (.300 batting average) do.
Golf doesn't change its rules to attract fans.
Golfers have to adapt to an entirely new playing area each week.
Golfers keep their clothes on while they are being interviewed.
Golf doesn't have free agency.
In their prime, Palmer, Norman, and other stars, would shake your hand and say
they were happy to meet you. In his prime Jose Canseco wore T-shirts that read
"Leave Me Alone."
You can hear birds chirping on the golf course during a tournament.
At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and
arenas) you won't hear a steady stream of four letter words and nasty name
calling while you're hoping that no one spills
beer on you.
Tiger hits a golf ball
over twice as far as Barry Bonds hits a baseball.
Golf courses don't ruin the neighborhood.
And Finally : Here's a little slice of golf history that you might enjoy.
Why do golf courses have 18 holes - not 20, or 10, or an even dozen?
During a discussion among the club's membership board at St. Andrews in 1858, a senior member pointed out that it takes exactly 18 shots to polish
off a fifth of Scotch. By limiting himself to only one shot of Scotch per hole,
the Scot figured a round of golf was finished when the Scotch ran out.
· · · · ·
International Good Looking Damn Smart Woman's Day motto:
" Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body - but rather to skid in sideways, Champagne in one hand and Chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO - what a Ride!"
· · · · ·
The husband
had finished his book, "Man Of The House", by the time he
reached home. He stormed into the house and walked directly up to his wife.
Pointing a finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to
know that I am the man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to
prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my meal, I
expect a sumptuous dessert afterward. Then, after dinner, you're going
to draw me my bath so I can relax. And, when I'm finished with my bath,
guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
"The damn funeral director," said his wife.
· · · · ·
My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?” I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.
· · · · ·
I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me, and always she was correct. But it was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!"
· · · · ·
When my grandson, Billy, and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."
· · · · ·
Editor: Thank you, to all of you who send me the notes and funny stories. The jokes serve a dual purpose as they brighten my day and I appreciate the contributions to share with the rest of the members. Keep up the good work!
Reminders
Monthly lunches are held at St. James Legion on Portage Ave. at NOON - 2nd Thursday of the month. Fully accessible.
· · · · ·
“For King and Country” a WWII documentary on History Television will begin showing on November 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2004 – check your local television listings to see the time in your area.
· · · · ·
Remembrance Day Service at the Convention Centre - George Peterson and Julie Lafortune will be laying a wreath. The Colour Party will be in the parade.
· · · · ·
A Battle of Hong Kong parade of the Winnipeg Grenadier Cadet Corp will be held on December 5th, 2004 at 1 p.m. at Minto Armouries with a memorial service – hope you can attend.
· · · · ·
Convention 2005 – Ottawa
August 12 – 14, 2005
Registration packages will be mailed in April 2005 – mark your calendar now and plan on attending.
· · · · ·
MEMBERSHIPS ARE DUE.
*** Check your membership card today. Please make sure you are a paid up member. Also when you remit your membership, indicate if Manitoba is your primary region or just for newsletters. Thank you. ***
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SNAPSHOT FROM HISTORY
· · · · ·
Your HKVA Branch Council Phone Numbers - Keep Them Handy:
|
George Peterson, President Carol Hadley, Secrtry/Newsletter Barry Mitchell, Treasurer/Membership Juliet Lafortune, Social Terence Jackson, Memorials Phil Doddridge, Nat’l President |
256-7174 837-6754
269-1497
338-3354 452-1460 418-392-5838 |
**PLEASE REMEMBER:
SEND US ANY ADDRESS CHANGES –
WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU
AND
CHEQUES FOR BARRY’S EMPORIUM
SHOULD BE
PAYABLE TO HKVCA**
Have a wonderful day and be safe!