Greetings from the west coast. The BC membership are all
in agreement that we have been spared the nasty fire season
of last year. We hope this moderation in climate extremities
will continue into all areas and long into the new year.
Once again our fall newsletter recognizes those who have
made an effort to commemorate our veterans by visiting a
cenotaph on VJ DAY.
It's difficult to gauge the number of members who
actually place a wreath but in reality there are many more
who take a moment of quiet reflection to think of their
loved ones on this the most important date for the saga of
our HK Veterans.
This year my sister from Chicago was visiting and she
took the opportunity to accompany me to the local cenotaph
and share that sombre moment with her sibling.
The act of commemoration is even more memorable when shared
with a loved one.
We Will Remember Them
There has been a spurt of activity in the BC Region due
to the diligent efforts of our inspired member Mr Jim
Laidlaw. As you may have read in a previous newsletter Jim
has approached Legions in his immediate area that may have
had HK veterans as members. It would seem that even if no
one on the executive board can remember an HK veteran on
their WW2 honour list they are still captivated by the
poignancy of the story.
As a result, they are receptive to the suggestion of
installing our HK commemorative plaque.
This was the case for these three Legions who were more
than amenable to our plaque placements. The following
are abbreviated notes from Jim's activity report:
Royal Canadian Legion Br 114 Lynn Canyon
The formal presentation of the commemorative plaque was
initially planned for Monday, June 24, 2024 during their
Annual General Meeting. However, with Game 7 of the
Stanley Cup playoffs occurring at the same time, the
presentation, and the Annual General Meeting, were
rescheduled for Sunday, June 23, 2024. The formal
presentation of the plaque was made by Jim Laidlaw to the
Executive Committee and membership of RCL 114. Following the
presentation, the formal business of RCL 114 was conducted,
as it was their last meeting before the summer break.
Left to right: Executive Committee of Royal Canadian Legion 114 (Lynn Valley) with the HKVCA Commemorative Plaque. Accepting the plaque Joe Phillips, President is second from right. (Photo used with permission)
While initially planned for installation within the main
area of the hall it has since been decided that the plaque
would be installed at their main entrance, where it could be
viewed by all who enter and exit the Legion.
Royal Canadian Legion Br 83 South Burnaby
Once the plaque was obtained by Mr. Laidlaw, arrangements
for its formal presentation were finalized. On Friday
July 19, 2024, Jim provided another brief summary of the
plaque and of 'C' Force to the assembled Legion membership.
At the conclusion of the presentation, the formal hand-over
of the plaque was made, with Mr. Joe Cairns (President)
accepting the plaque on behalf of RCL 83.
Joe Cairns (President) accepting a plaque from Jim
Laidlaw (HKVCA). (Photo used with permission).
The RCL 83 Branch is located on the main floor of a
relatively new, purpose-built building. The Legion Hall is
on the ground floor and the Legion-owned apartments above.
The main hall contains various memorabilia on its walls, and
the Commemorative Plaque was placed near the main entrance
of the hall, for all to see.
Exterior view of the Branch 83 building
Many thanks to Tammy Marchioni for arranging the
meetings, and to Joe Cairns for introductions and receiving
the plaque on behalf of the South Burnaby branch.
Royal Canadian Legion Br 008 White Rock
Once the plaque was obtained by Mr. Laidlaw, arrangements
were made for its formal presentation. On Saturday,
July 27, 2024, Mr. Laidlaw visited RCL Br 008, and provided
a brief summary of the plaque, and of ‘C’ Force, to the
assembled Legion membership. At the conclusion of the
presentation, the formal hand-over of the plaque was made,
with Chris Voisey (President), David Williams (1st Vice
President), Susan Comeau (2nd Vice President), and veteran
Mr. Percy Smith, accepting the plaque on behalf of RCL 008.
The RCL 008 Branch is within a stand-alone building, with
several sections for meetings, recreation and other
activities. Mr. Laidlaw was told that a couple of
years ago, the interior of the Legion Hall was repaired and
repainted, with most of the old memorabilia removed and
placed in storage. Mr. Voisey was quite pleased with
the commemorative plaque, as it would represent “something
new” to install, as it had yet to be decided what, if any,
of the old memorabilia would be reinstated.
Left to right: Mr. Percy Smith (WW2 Burma Veteran), Mr.
Chris Voisey (President), Mr. Jim Laidlaw, Mr. David
Williams (1st VP) and Ms. Susan Comeau (2nd VP).
(Photo used with permission)
One memorable encounter at the plaque handover event was
meeting Mr. Percy Smith, a World War II veteran (102 years
young), who had been part of the Burma campaign and was well
aware of the Hong Kong story.
Many thanks to Gail Green for arranging the meetings and
making the order request, and to Chris Voisey for his warm
welcome and arrangements for the formal presentation.
Cheers again Jim Laidlaw for your dedication and as we
publish this article RCL Br 44 Vancouver is scheduled for a
September 19th installation too! If you're close by drop
in.
One thing of note we can all say about our plaque
installations across the country is that the Legions find
the best location in their buildings to display them. That
is a true testament to the fresh look and feel of the
graphics on the plaque and of course how the message of
remembrance and sacrifice still resonates with Canadians
everywhere.
I wish you all a very pleasant end of summer and great
fall colours to enjoy. I am also hopeful you are busy making
plans for the 2025 Ottawa convention. See you there!
Mike
Babin 
Jim Trick
Ian Englehart
Pam Heinrichs
Gerry Tuppert
Carol Hadley
Shelagh Purcell
Lucette
Mailloux 