​Over two thousand years ago, according to the New Testament, Wise Men followed the North Star to find the Saviour’s birthplace.  Two thousand years later, fugitive slaves escaping bondage in the United States would also follow the North Star to lead them to freedom in Canada.
 
The North Star or Polaris is the first and one of the brightest stars to appear in the night sky. It is the only star in the constellation that does not move across the sky or change position with the seasons; it always points to the north. Polaris is easily identified by first finding the Big Dipper or the Drinking Gourd. The Big Dipper is made up of seven bright stars in the shape of a ladle with a curved handle. Away from the handle is the side of the bowl that forms the pouring edge. The two stars making up the Big Dipper’s pouring edge points to the North Star.

​Fugitives would follow Polaris to guide them northward toward the free states of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, or to Canada. While on clear nights the North Star can easily be seen, on cloudy nights or when running through forests, swamps or bayous, runaway slaves would rely on tree moss to guide them. Moss grows on the cooler north side of tree trunks. As well as following the North Star, fugitives relied on the Underground Railroad to help them arrive safely at their destination --freedom.
 
The term “Underground Railroad” was first used in 1831. A Kentucky slave named Tice Davids fled his plantation with his master in hot pursuit. Tice jumped into the Ohio River determined to swim to Ripley, Ohio, on the other shore. Pursued by his master in a boat, Tice made it to shore. When his master reached the shore, however, Tice was nowhere to be found. The frustrated slave-owner declared that Tice had vanished before his very eyes disappearing on some kind of Underground Railroad.
 
The Underground Railroad (also called the Liberty Line) was not underground nor did it have tracks. Rather it was a movement begun by Quakers, as early as 1676, (due to George Fox the founder of Society of Friends also known as the Father of Quakerism) to help slaves escape their bondage in the United States to freedom in the free northern states and later to Canada by following the North Star. Acting as “conductors,” Quakers, Free Blacks, Whites, Native Americans, German farmers and other slaves helped fugitive slaves to escape. Although the Underground Railroad was formally developed until the early 19th century, slaves had been using the same routes to escape slavery for decades.  
 
In the United States the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1793 which protected the rights of slave owners for retrieving their property - runaway slaves. This act allowed slave hunters to capture an escaped slave only to confirm orally before a state or federal judge that the slave was a runaway. Slaves were not entitled to a trial by jury and a person hiding an escaped slave could be fined $500.00 and/or be imprisoned.
 
Southerners were outraged that escaping slaves received assistance from so many sources and that they lived and worked in the free Northern States and in Canada. As a result, a much stronger act was implemented, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. This new Fugitive Slave Act made it both possible and profitable to hire slave catchers to find and arrest runaways. Slave owners could choose to have slaves returned or killed outright. Slaves were considered property, not people, and thus had no rights to life or liberty.
 
Furthermore, those aiding a fugitive were at risk of imprisonment as well as a $1,000 fine. This was a disaster for the free Black communities of the North, especially since the slave catchers often kidnapped legally-freed Blacks as well as fugitives. But these seizures and kidnappings brought the brutality of slavery into the North and persuaded many more people to assist fugitives. As a result, slaves used whatever means necessary to try even harder to escape their bondage. 

​After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, many escaped slaves that had made their homes in northern states abandoned their homes for Canada which had abolished slavery on August 1, 1834. This became the new destination for those escaping slavery and the “stations” or “safe houses” of the Underground Railroad provided stops all the way to Canada.
During the 1830s and 1840s, about 20 terminals were set up in Canada dotted along the shores of Lake Erie. 

​With the advent of the steam railway, terms like the Underground Railroad were used as code words. The “train” would occasionally be nicknamed the “Gospel Train.”  Other code words used for the Underground Railroad included the following: “cargo” (one or more fugitives or runaway slaves); “conductor (a person who guided slaves on their journey to freedom); “heaven” (Canada); “Moses” (Harriet Tubman); “promised land” (Canada or the North); “station” (a safe hiding place for fugitives along the way);  and “terminal” (a stop like a town or city on the Underground Railroad).

​The President of the Underground Railroad was a Quaker named Levi Coffin. His home in Newport, Indiana (and later in Cincinnati, Ohio) was known as the “Grand Central Station”. Through their work in the anti-slavery movement, Levi and his wife Catharine helped thousands of runaway slaves. During a visit to Canada in 1844, Levi visited many people whom he had helped escape slavery. 

​Slaves passed information about escape routes by singing spirituals with hidden messages. “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” this song suggests escaping in the spring as the days get longer. It also refers to quails which start calling each other in April. The drinking gourd is a water dipper which is a code name for the Big Dipper which points to the Pole Star towards the north.
 
“Steal Away to Jesus,” this song communicates that the person singing is planning to escape.
 
“Wade in the Water, Children,” Tubman used this song to tell slaves to get into the water to avoid being tracked. This is an example of a map song, where directions are coded into the lyrics. 

“Sweet Chariot,” a slave hearing this song knew to be ready to escape, a band of angels are coming to take him to freedom. The Underground Railroad (sweet chariot) is coming south (swing low) to take the slave to the north or freedom (carry me home). This was one of Tubman’s favorite slave spirituals.
 
A legendary conductor on the Underground Railroad was Harriet Ross Tubman. Known as the “Black Moses” of her people, Tubman was born into slavery around 1820 in Maryland. She made about 19 trips from Pennsylvania to free northern states and into Canada, leading 300 slaves to freedom. As a signal to the slaves that she was about to make a trip, Tubman would sing “Up with Moses” the day before she left. While hiding out along the route, Tubman would signal whether it was safe or not by singing - a sad song meant the escapees had to hide, a happy song that they were safe.
 
Tubman lived in St. Catharines, Ontario for about eight years. This remarkable woman also fought for women’s rights, the elderly. Tubman returned to the United States to serve as scout, spy and nurse in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Tubman is the first and only woman to have led American troops in war. She died in 1913 at the age of 93.
 
The Underground Railroad had three main routes. One ran from the eastern Upper South through Philadelphia and New York State into Canada. The other route involved stowing fugitives on ships leaving the southern East Coast towns like Charlestown, South Carolina, Portsmouth, Virginia and heading north. The ships would dock in a northern city like New York City or New Bedford, Massachusetts and the runaway slaves would then travel through New England and into Canada. The western Underground Railroad route had fugitives leaving Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and even the Deep South via the Mississippi River. Runaway slaves would cross into the Free states then journey to Canada by crossing the Great Lakes. Fugitives, who crossed over land, would stop at various terminals situated in Detroit, Michigan.

(Interactive map)

Around 1850, it is estimated that about 100,000 blacks escaped slavery via The Underground Railroad. During its 20 year peak between 1840 and 1860, it is reported about 30,000 slaves escaped the south via the secret routes of the Underground Railroad. Escaping slaves who escaped to Canada mostly settled in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The Underground Railroad continued throughout the Civil War until the passing of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery in the Unites States in 1865.

For many escaped slaves, Canada represented a dream of freedom where slave catchers and lynch mobs could not hurt and/or kill them. Escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad endured months and even years living like fugitives, while bounty hunters and racist government policies were always trying to impede their flight to freedom.

Once in Canada, life was not without difficulties. Just like their American cousins, many white Canadians held severely racist views of their new black neighbours. While most people were generous and helped the new settlers, some Canadians turned a blind eye to their struggles and in some cases assaults and murders against black immigrants were recorded. However, these were in the minority.

Although free, escaped slaves did not enjoy equal privileges and opportunities as their white neighbors. Finding work as a black man or woman was a difficult task and opportunities for education were slim. Blacks were forced to build their own churches, schools, and community centers because they were not welcomed in white communities. As a result, many escaped slaves lived in tight knit black communities where poor living conditions and sanitation led to disease and eventually death.

Black Canadians were part of the growth of Canada, particularly in the key boom years of the 1870’s, following the American Civil War, when Canada aggressively expanded to the west. Many blacks, tired of the racism of the east, joined the wave of European settlers moving to the prairies and were key components in establishing today’s thriving cities of Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.

​Black Canadians have since become a part of Canada’s history. The descendants of the runaway slaves who escaped bondage to freedom by following the North Star, have fought in Canada’s wars - William Hall V.C. (1825-19040), have become hockey stars - Willie Eldon O'Ree (born October 15, 1935 - Present), have contributed to the arts and culture - Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (1925-2007), have shared in building great centers of research and innovation - Elijah McCoy
(1844–1929), and have even served in the highest offices of the federal government - Lincoln MacCauley Alexander (1922-2012). 

​The contributions of the descendants of the runaway slaves to Canada’s identity, even existence, will be remembered for as long as this country exists. 

In October 2017, WWII Veteran, Harry M. Sanders, received a letter from France informing him that he was honoured Knight of the French National Order of The Legion of Honour medal insignia. Despite over 70 years after the war, France personally thanked Harry for his part in liberating their country during WWII.
​
The Legion of Honour, full name National Order of the Legion of Honour, is the highest French order of merit for military and civil worthiness that was established on May 19, 1802, by First Consul and one of the worlds’ most military geniuses: Napoleon Bonaparte. ​

he local Tillsonburg native was surprised but pleased to be honoured with such an award. Harry Sanders served as a First Radio Officer in the British Merchant Navy from 1942 to 1946. Harry was formally recognized on December 14, 2017 during the Town of Tillsonburg’s Volunteer Appreciation Night. Tillsonburg Mayor, Stephen Molner, arranged for Marc Trouyet, Consul General from the Consultant General de France in Toronto to present the award to Harry. But like any great story, there is a beginning.

In his memoir entitled, WWII War at Sea: A Personal Narrative, Harry wrote a chronological narrative of the war. He stated that “the events are factual, the dates at times a bit iffy. Seventy-three years is a long time to remember every detail. I kept no war diary….I am not a writer, only an old sailor with my story to tell.”

And what a story he told indeed. I had the pleasure of interviewing Harry Sanders at his beautiful home in Tillsonburg. Harry explained how he attended a private school in England. At eighteen he would have been conscripted to either fly a plane or drive a tank and he didn’t want to do either. With his love for water, Harry had to be at sea.

In war, all merchant ships had to maintain a 24 hour radio watch, requiring three radio operators (during peace time only one radio operator was needed). Harry took a six-month radio course where he graduated from the Maritime School of Wireless, South-Shields England as a Third Class Radio Officer.  The course was intensive and included dismantling a transistor radio and taking and receiving Morse code at 125 letters per minute; equivalent to typing 65 words a minute.

Three days after passing his exam, Harry was called to the Merconi Company office where he was assigned to the S.S. Barrgrove. The merchant ship was already out in the harbour. Once aboard, Harry reported to the Captain. The ship set sail the following day. During war time, Captains did not know their destinations until they were at sea. The S.S. Barrgrove was one of a 45 ship convoy traveling in six columns, seven ships deep along with two Canadian Corvettes (anti-submarine convoy escorts) travelling at five knots. On the second night a ship was blown up by a sea mine.

Once the S.S. Barrgrove arrived in Lisbon to pick up a supply of ore; used to make helmets; it headed to Gibraltar to meet another convoy of 84 ships. In this convoy seven ships were torpedoed and German planes attacked the rest. Three ships went down one just in front of the S.S. Barrgrove. The sea around the ships was engulfed in a fiery ball. Ships leaving the area could not stop to rescue survivors in the water as they too would become victims of the next attack. The S.S. Barrgrove eventually returned to England.

At eighteen, Harry had his first experience of the horrors of war.  However, it would become much worse. The second ship Harry was assigned to was the S.S. Domine; an old ship that should have been in the salvage yard. However, during the war, anything that floated and had an engine was fit for duty. The S.S. Domine left with a convoy of 52 ships, two corvettes heading for the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. But with a speed of 4 knots, the S.S. Domine fell far behind the convoy by the time they reached Bay of Biscay, between France and Spain. Three days later the engine died and the ship drifted alone all day. Since radio communications could not be used, they were not able to contact another ship.

Harry recalled that at 1:21 a.m. there was a tremendous explosion and he was thrown outside his cabin. The S.S. Domine was struck by a torpedo. Harry crawled in the control room to ty to send an SOS but the transmission was damaged. He then grabbed the Admiralty codebooks, dumped them into a metal box and threw it into the Atlantic Ocean with himself in tow. Swimming from the sinking ship to be away from the gravitational pull, Harry reached a floating raft and hung on while watching the ship sink beneath the waters along with twenty officers and crew.

Harry and nine others were the sole survivors who all clung to the raft. Harry reported that when a ship is torpedoed, few lifeboats survive. As a result, rafts are fitted on the main and aft masts to float free when released. These rafts had scanty survival kits.
The dishevelled group with varying degrees of injuries all fell into the water at first light, when the German U boat that had torpedoed their ship the night before, surfaced 100 feet from the raft. Despite the captain’s questions left unanswered, he told the group they were close to the coast of Serra Leone, wished them well and sunk silently beneath the surface of the water. Harry was very grateful to that German Captain who showed mercy to the survivors and provided them with hope.

Due to little food, rationing of the limited water supply, no shelter from the cold nights and the scorching sun during the day. Two or three men died during the night and one man threw himself overboard knowing it would be hard to survive with his injuries. There were now only two survivors left on the raft, Harry being one of them; he thought it was the end.

Nevertheless, Harry woke up in a hospital bed. He had a dislocated shoulder and third degree burns on his face, hands and lips but he was alive. He does not remember what happened to the other man on the raft. He was the sole survivor found washed up on a Freetown beach off the coast of Sierra Leone by a local fisherman. After spending fifteen days in hospital, Harry returned to England. Five days later he was deployed to another ship.

In total, Harry Sunders was a Radio Control Officer on eleven ships. In 1944, he attended the Royal Navy Training School where he was trained to liaison with aircrew using wireless telephone. After passing his second F.C.C. certification of proficiency in radiotelegraphy, Harry became a First Class Radio Officer. It was onboard the M.V. Monowie ship that would earn Harry the Legion of Honour Award.

In its former life, before the war, the M.V. Monowie was an 18,000 ton New Zealand luxury liner. Now stripped of her luxury, landing crafts replaced lifeboats and it became a troopship during WWII that delivered American soldiers to Omaha Beach. From his book WWII at Sea, Harry wrote that after a six-week boot camp G.I.’s arrived to board the ship. They were placed below deck, officers and female personnel on the boat deck and Negro soldiers were separated on the lower deck as well as in the dining room despite fighting the same war Harry cited. These men, who three months ago probably milked cows, “were about to face a well-trained seasoned German Army at war for three years. God help them.”
​
Harry recalled that on June 6, 1944 at 5:30 a.m., landing nets were dropped over the sides of the M.V. Monowie to land G.I.’s on Omaha Beach. While standing on the bridge, Harry witnessed the carnage that would become the largest amphibious attack in history.
The Battle of Normandy ran from June 1944 to August 1944, codenamed Operation Overload. The battle began on June 6, 1944. Known as D-Day, or Deployment Day, 156,000 American, British and Canadians troops landed on five beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword which ran along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified beach in France’s Normandy region.

Of the five beaches, Omaha Beach was the largest at six miles long in which the most intense fighting occurred on D-Day. That was because cliffs overlooked Omaha Beach which made attacking the area very difficult. In his words, Harry described Omah Beach’s on D-Day:

     Germany took 4 years to build their Atlantic Wall. They sowed impregnable
​     belts of beach obstructions designed to prevent any landing craft from reaching
     shore. They build indestructible pillboxes, meters cement think. Positioned them
​     on  the cliff covering the beach so machine gunners could fire lengthwise down
     the beach, the killing ground. They were also able to drop a continues barrage
     of bursting artillery above the enemy huddled below at the face of the cliff.
     This was Omaha Beach! (From WWII at Sea)

On August 25, 1944, the Allies liberated France which helped paved the way for allied victory in Europe. On September 2, 1945, WWII finally ended.

In his memoir, Harry reported the astonishing figures of destruction: “At war-end, we learned that 3500 of all U-boat sinking had taken place in the North Atlantic. It had become the graveyard of both men and ships. The battle of the Atlantic ended with 15 million tons of shipping lost. 4,500 allied ships sunk 75,000 merchant Navy Officers and men dead or missing-in-action.” Listening to Harry Saunders recount his experiences during WWII and of the many men who lost their lives at sea, I came across a website with the following poem: 

Post by Administrator on May 24, 2013 at 10:53 am
Let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten.”
No crosses mark the ocean waves;
No monuments of stone.
No roses grow on sailor's graves,
The Sailor rests alone
His tributes are the sea gulls' sweeps,
Forever wild and free . . .
And teardrops that his sweetheart weeps
To mingle with the sea
Anon
Many remain without commemoration.
 (From Message Board: Her Name WasTregenna)

While writing this blog I once again visited this website and found that there is a campaign by the Battle of Atlantic Memorial to build a national memorial to commemorate the 100,000 people who died in the Battle of the Atlantic as well as those who served and survived.  According to the feed, the 91 feet monument is expected to be placed on the Pier Head in Liverpool and is designed by sculptor Paul Day, who also created the Battle of Britain monument in London. The goal is to unveil the monument in 2019 which will mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Atlantic and the beginning of World War Two.

Sadly, WWII did not end all wars. WWI was supposed to be the Great War to do that. Today, many lives continue to be lost to and for wars.

 Quote: “The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war.  Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land at sea or in the air, depended ultimately on its outcome.” ~ Winston Churchill

Pictures of Harry Sanders and his medals at his home in Tillsonburg

February is Black History Month. Despite the shortest month of the year, February is packed with numerous significances for Black History. Since 1926 in the United States, the second week of February was designated as Negro History Week by Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). (See my past post Black History Month for further information.) Hence, the premiere of the Marvel Studio Black Panther movie set for February 16, 2018.
​
Every February 1st since 2009, Canada Post has issued new stamps to commemorate Black History Month in Canada based on two distinguished Black Canadians. This year the honour goes to Kathleen (Kay) Livingston and the former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lincoln M. Alexander. 

As cited in Canada Post’s Details Magazine, Kathleen (Kay) Livingstone (1918-1975) was a long-time Toronto resident. She “was an activist, humanitarian and popular radio host devoted to the empowerment of Black women. She founded the Canadian Negro Women’s Association in the 1950s and, in 1975, launched the Congress of Black Women of Canada – now a nationwide organization. In 2011, she was named a Person of National Historic Significance by the Government of Canada.” (From Canada Post)

Toronto-born Lincoln MacCauley Alexander (1922-2012) was a prominent attorney and Politian who had a distinguished career as a public servant. He was the first Black Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons in 1968 and was appointed to the federal Cabinet in 1979. In 1985, Lincoln Alexander was appointed Ontario’s 24th Lieutenant Governor becoming  the first member of a visible minority group to serve in that vice-regal office in any province in Canada until 1991. He encouraged countless young people to pursue their dreams – often telling them, "I did it. You can. You will." (From Canada Post) On November 28, 2013, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario declared January 21st of each year Lincoln Alexander Day.

As a presenter of Black History and a hobbyist coin and stamp collector, I have always wanted to write a piece about the Black History Month stamps that Canada Post issues. One burning question I asked Jim Phillips, Director of Stamp Services  from Canada Post was “who is the person who decides to feature distinguished Black Canadians on stamps for Black History Month?” The answer is the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee (SAC) that was established in 1969 who recommends the themes and designs for Canada’s annual stamp program.

​According to Jim; “it’s a group of twelve experts in the fields of design, history, culture and philately who serve three year terms (on occasion, renewable one time) and advise on stamp topics and designs. It’s a balanced group from across the country and we make a conscious effort to represent the whole of the country re race, gender, language, etc.”
​
From The Blog, in the post ​How Canada Post Chooses What Goes on a Stamp on May 20, 2013, then Chair of the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee, Robert Waite explained the process involved in how someone gets featured on a Canadian stamp. Prior to 2005, with the exception of the ruling Monarch, a person had to be dead to be featured on a Canadian Stamp. However, to commemorate the 80th birthday and of the life and achievements of internationally renowned Canadian jazz composer and musician Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (1925-2007) Canada Post  issued a stamp in his honor on August 15, 2005.  As a result, Oscar Peterson became the first living Canadian to appear on a Canadian stamp. History was made. 

​Although it is a practice and not a policy, according to Robert Waite, the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee would “prefer that subjects previously have been awarded an Order of Canada designation or a Governor General's Award.” (From The Blog)
​
Nevertheless, the honour of the first Black person to be featured on a Canada stamp goes to a former slave, Josiah Henson that was issued on September 16, 1983. 

Josiah Henson (1789–1883) escaped slavery in the United States and like many slaves he followed the North Star to freedom in Canada along with two of his youngest children in tow on October 28, 1830. Josiah Henson, was an author, abolitionist and minister who co-founded a settlement and school in Dawn near Dresden, Ontario to what we know today as Uncle Tom’s Cabin. His life was modeled after the character Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. (From Canada Post)
​
Prior to the formal Black History ongoing series, another distinguished Black individual commemorated on a Canadian stamp was Portia White. Entitled Portia White: Irrepressible Talent was part of The Millennium Collection, Extraordinary Entertainers released on December 17, 1999. 

​Portia White: Irrepressible Talent

Hailed from Nova Scotia, Portia May White (1911-1968) “was a Canadian contralto [type of classical female singing] singer who overcame the obstacles of gender, race and the exclusive nature of the classical music world to gain international renown, and recognition as one of the greatest voices in Canadian history.” (From Creative Canadian Women)

Portia White came from a family of firsts. Her father, William White was the second Black Canadian admitted to Acadia University who graduated in 1903 with a degree in Theology and later became the first Black Canadian to receive a Doctorate of Divinity. Her brothers Bill White was a composer and social activist who became the first Black Canadian to run for federal office for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in the Toronto constituency of Spadina in 1949. And Jack White was a noted labour union leader and one of the first Black Canadians to run for provincial office in Ontario. (From Portia White)

As part of an aim to bring about more diversity to the stamp program, the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee came up with the ongoing series stamps and the correspondent First Day Covers commemorating February’s Black History Month in Canada in 2009.

​According to Jim Phillips, once the decision has been made to feature someone on the stamp, two to three design firms are assigned to provide concepts. “The design firms, which have to be professionally accredited firms, are chosen for their experience in both design and miniaturization, and also their location when we’re assigning stamp issues on regional topics.  The winning concept is chosen by the Stamp Design Committee.”

To date, since the inception of the ongoing series stamps commemorating February’s Black History Month in Canada since 2009, twleve distinguished Black Canadians, including honorary Canadian Nelson Mandala; two disbanded Canadian communities, Africville in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Hogan’s Alley in Vancouver, British Columba; a military battalion and an explorer and translator, have all graced their presence on Canadian stamps. Ten of the twelve individuals were recipients of some prestigious awards and for many including an Order of Canada designation or a Governor General's Award.
​
Here is the list of the ongoing series stamps commemorating February’s Black History Month in Canada:

Abraham Doras Shadd (1801-1882) was a free-born and prosperous shoemaker in Delaware who devoted his life to the abolitionist movement. Shadd was a conductor for the Underground Railroad who “provided escaping refugees with food, shelter, clothing and guidance. In 1851, Shadd and his family moved to southern Ontario’s North Buxton area, where they joined many of those he guided to freedom. He was the first Black person to serve in Canadian public office when he was elected to the Council of Raleigh, Ontario, in 1859.” (From Canada Post) “In 1994, the road that traverses the heart of North Buxton was renamed A.D. Shadd Road in his honour.” (From BlackPast.org)
​
Rosemary Brown (1930-2003) was an activist, politician and feminist who arrived from Jamaica in 1950 to study social work at Montreal’s McGill University. Rosemary Brown “became the first Black woman elected to public office in as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the British Columbia legislature in 1972. She also ran for the leadership of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP), making her the first woman to run for the leadership of a Canadian federal political party.” (From Canada Post)

William Hall V.C. (1825-1904) became the first Black person, the first Nova Scotian and the first Canadian sailor of the Victoria Cross recipient on October 28, 1859. Hall received the medal for his actions in the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion in 1857. While serving on the HMS Shannon, Hall volunteered with a relief force where a British garrison was besieged by mutineers. “Two survived the attack, Seaman Hall and Lieutenant Thomas Young, but only Hall was left standing, and he continued to fight until the relief of the garrison was assured.” Issued in 2010, this stamp pays tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy. (From Canada Post)

Born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Dr. Carrie M. Best (1903-2001) was a Black Canadian journalist, human rights activist, author, poet, publisher and broadcaster. Best is known to be the first Black owner and publisher of Nova Scotia’s first newspaper for Black Canadians called The Clarion published from 1946 to 1956. One of her biggest stories was Viola Desmond’s racial segregation of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Dr. Best had a radio program in 1954 called The Quiet Corner for twelve years and she also wrote for The Pictou Advocate from 1968 to 1975. (From Canada Post) In 1977, Dr. Carrie Best published her autobiography entitled That Lonesome Road.

“Ferguson (Fergie) Arthur Jenkins was born on December 13, 1942, in Chatham, Ontario whose pitching abilities got him signed to the the Philadelphia Phillies 1962.  Throughout his career, Fergie Jenkins would pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies (1965-66), the Chicago Cubs (1966-73, 1982-83), the Texas Rangers (1974-75, 1978-81) and the Boston Red Sox (1976-77). He also played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters in the off season to stay in shape. Fergie Jenkins is the only Canadian honoured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York (inducted July 21, 1991). (From Canada Post)

“John Ware (1845-1905) was a cowboy who helped establish the ranching industry in the part of the prairies that would eventually become Alberta. Born into slavery in South Carolina, Ware travelled to Texas after the Civil War, where he became an experienced cowhand. In 1882, strong and industrious, Ware drove 3,000 cattle across the border for the North West Cattle company, and then settled in Calgary then moved his ranch to Alberta Canada in 1900.

With his great stature, abilities and sense of adventure, Ware had all the makings of a folk hero. Skilled with the lariat, he pioneered steer-wrestling and won his first competition at the Calgary Summer Fair of 1893, setting a precedent for what would become a highlight of the Calgary Stampede. Ironically, he died in 1905, when his horse tripped and crushed him. (From Canada Post) An ex-slave slave who became a prominent Albertan cattleman, John Ware’s funeral was the largest in Calgary history. 

Viola Irene Desmond (1914-1965) Desmond was arrested in Nova Scotia in 1945, for sitting in the “whites-only” section of New Glasgow’s Roseland theatre. After being dragged from the theatre, sitting up all night in jail still wearing her white gloves, Desmond was tried without counsel and convicted of defrauding the province of the additional one-cent tax for seats in the whites-only section, and fined $20. She paid the fine but went on to fight the charge in higher levels of court. Subsequent trials focused on tax-evasion, not that Ms. Desmond has been a victim of racism. [In 2011], the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia invoked the Royal Prerogative and granted Desmond a posthumous pardon, the first such to be granted in Canada, and the government of Nova Scotia formally apologized.” (From Canada Post)  Activist Viola Desmond will be grace the new Canadian $10 bill. (Viola Desmond’s stamps are one of the most requested stamps for reproduction in publications and exhibits.) 

"Joseph (Joe) Seraphim Fortes (1863-1922) arrived in Vancouver in 1885 in a tent on the beach at English Bay where he became Vancouver’s first official lifeguard and a swimming teacher in 1894. Thousands attend his funeral when he died in 1922 and in 1927; citizens raised money to install a fountain at English Bay in Fortes’ honour. The inscription read: “Little children love him.” (From Canada Post) Joe Fortes saved over 100 people from drowning. His stamp issued in 2013 commemorated 150 years of his birth.

"Oliver Theophilus Jones is a Canadian jazz pianist, organist, composer and arranger. Born to Barbadian parents in Montreal, he began his career as a pianist at the age of five.  In 1980 Oliver released his first jazz album, The Oliver-Jones Trio. Since then Oliver Jones continues to receive numerous accolades including five Junos, four honorary doctorates, and the Ordre National du Québec and as an Officer of the Order of Canada.” (From Canada Post)

Located in Halifax, Africville is “one of Nova Scotia’s oldest black communities [that was settled in the 1840s] has become an important symbol of the struggle against racism. The town never received proper roads, health services, water, street lamps or electricity. After neglecting the community for years, the City of Halifax razed Africville in the 1960s [to make room for a new bridge]. It evicted residents and ordered its dwellings destroyed. Africville remains an enduring symbol of the need for vigilance in defence of African-Canadian communities and institutions." (From Canada Post)

Hogan’s Alley was the unofficial local name of a “four block long alleyway in Vancouver, on Canada’s west coast. It was known as a vibrant destination for food and jazz and was a centre of the city’s black community. It was called Hogan’s Alley, although the origins of the name are obscure. It too was razed in the 1960’s to make way for new development.
​
This stamp also features actual photos of area residents imposed on a background image of the alley. The two people shown are Fielding Spotts, a cooper by trade and the first Baptist in Western Canada, and Nora (Zenora) Hendrix, grandmother to rock legend Jimi Hendrix and cook at Vie’s Chicken and Steak House.” (From Radio Canada International) 

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013) was imprisoned for 27 years in South Africa. He was an activist, author, leader of the African National Congress who became the first President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 elected in a free vote by persons of every race. In 2001 Nelson Mandela became the first living person bestowed with honorary Canadian Citizenship in 2001. “The stamp was designed with a photography taken on Mandela’s first visit to Canada in 1990. The world mourned Mandela’s passing on December 5, 2013.” (From Canada Post) 

"No. 2 Construction Battalion was the first and only Black battalion in Canadian military history. Black men wanted to contribute to Canada's First World War effort despite discrimination. As a result, a special unit was created in 1916 in Pictou, Nova Scotia so Black men could serve their country. The No. 2 Construction Battalion served with the Canadian Forestry Corps to support the front lines by building roads and bridges, defusing land mines so advancing troops could move forward and they brought out the wounded. No. 2 Construction Battalion was officially disbanded on September 15, 1920." (From Historic Canada)

Mathieu Da Costa, believed to be the first named Black person to reach Canada. He was not a slave but an explorer, pioneer, translator and an interpreter who travelled as a member of the expedition party of French explores Pierre Dugua and Samuel de Champlain in 1607. He served as an interpreter between the French and the Micmac Indians who spoke five languages: Dutch, English, French, Portuguese and pidgin Basque, the dialect that many Aboriginals used for trading purposes. As a result, Mathieu Da Costa’s talents helped to bridge the gap between the Europeans and the Micmac Indians.
​
Although the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee choses who appears on a Canadian stamp as well as the designer, the Canadian public also is involved in the decision making process. Anyone can participate in nominating an individual and/or topic as many topics come from the public. 
​

​Stamp subject suggestions can be submitted by the public and directed to:

Chair
Stamp Advisory Committee
Canada Post
2701 Riverside Drive, N1070
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0B1
 
(Click this link to be directed to the process involved in how to suggest a subject for a stamp and/or apply to design a stamp.)

One individual I would love see grace a Canadian stamp to commemorate Black History Month in Canada, is my heroine Harriet Tubman. Unbeknownst to most Canadians, Harriet Tubman settled in St. Catharines, Ontario from 1851 to 1858 before returning to the United States to serve as scout, spy and nurse in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Harriet Tubman is still considered the first and only woman to have led American troops in war.  But that is a subject for another post. 

(This blog was posted on LinkedIn on February 1, 2016.)

That week coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln -U.S. President who freed slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 (February 12) and Frederick Douglass - a black freedom fighter who helped slaves escape (February 14).  In 1976, as part of the nations’ Bicentennial, Negro History Week was changed and expanded to Black History Month.

In Canada, the Black Railroad Porters brought the celebration of Black History to Toronto in the 1950’s.  The Canadian Negro Women’s Association then broadened the celebration to the Black community.  In 1979, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) successfully initiated the formal celebration of February as Black History Month with the City of Toronto.  However, it was only in 1996 that February was declared Black History Month across Canada.

But why is a month needed to celebrate Black History? The need to celebrate Black History is to educate the public of the history of Black people and the contributions they have made in Canada. Although Blacks have been in this country since the 1600’s, there was not a lot of information on this subject.  Early historical books have no mention of Blacks in Canada nor do they mention their contribution throughout Canadian history.  

There were many well-established and thriving Black communities throughout Canada but they have long since disappeared.  There were few or no monuments or museums to acknowledge them.  One reason why history was not recorded is that people did not record their stories, being too busy struggling to survive. Furthermore, stories were not passed on to their children due to the shame associated with the past.

In his article, entitled “Why We Need Black History Month - All Year Around”, Henry Martey Codjoe, Policy Consultant with the Alberta Department of Education, wrote the following:

 “ … I find it a tragedy that many Black and African children grow up today convinced of their own inferiority. The educational process largely ignores the contributions of Blacks to world civilization and is full of negative perceptions of Blacks and their culture. The school system in North America has continually perpetuated the historical myths and stereotypes about the African past….”

As a Black educated in Canada, I too was not aware of Black history or of Black people’s contribution to this country.  It was not until 1995, after becoming a member of both the Ontario Black History Society and the Black Cultural Society of Nova Scotia, that I became educated on this subject.  Aside from learning briefly about slaves in the United States from school, I have since learned that Canada too had slavery and of the great achievements that Blacks have made in this great nation.  

Henry Codjoe’s article continues with the following:

Why is it important to know our history? Carter Woodson, …was the premier Black historian to put forward the idea of African history as a form of Black cultural empowerment and emancipation. In his view, the knowledge and dissemination of African history would, ‘besides building self-esteem among blacks, help eliminate prejudice among whites.’…

In a speech at Hampton Institute in 1921, Woodson addressed the issue head on: ‘We have a wonderful history behind us. ... If you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record, the world will say to you, 'You are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else'. They will say to you, ‘Who are you, anyway?’…

The purpose of Black History Month then, is to recapture the many missing pages of Black peoples’ struggles, triumphs, and contributions to Canadian society. Similar to Carter Woodson, I too feel that educating the public about Black History is twofold. One, it enlightens the public about this subject. Second, it helps to dispel any misconceptions and stereotypes that Black people in the past, whether in the United States or in Canada, were associated only with slavery or as domestic servants.

Source:
"Ghana Review" Vol. 1. No. 6, Friday 27 January 1995, Supplement Black History Month, "A Commentary on Black History Month in North America." From the African Heritage Month Web-site  http://www.dal.ca/~acswww/dalbh.html, Why We Need Black History Month-A Canadian Perspective with permission of Randy Barkhouse.

Quote: "You go to school, you study about the Germans and the French, but not about your own race. I hope the time will come when you study Black History too." ~ Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1915)

25th Anniversary of Tillsonburg’s Town Flag
Jen Gibson is the Collection & Exhibit Specialist with Annandale National Historical Site, the home of the Tillsonburg’s Community Museum, located at 30 Tillson Avenue in Tillsonburg, Ontario. In honour of our Canadian Flag celebrating its 50th Anniversary, Jen decided to display Tillsonburg’s prominent flags from the museum’s permanent collection in the exhibit “Celebrate Our Flags” in the Pratt Gallery (named after Bill and Marion Pratt) from May 1st to August 30th. In keeping with the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, she has a podium set up, with exact dimensions as the Olympics with second and third place on the same level, showcasing the Olympic Flag from 1952 that the “Livvies” Basketball Team brought home.

While conducting research for the exhibit, Jen found that this is the “25th Anniversary of the Tillsonburg’s Town Flag.” The flag consist of the word “Tillsonburg” in blue lettering in between twigs of Maple Leaf branches; an Otter, Tillsonburg’s symbol, with Edwin Delevan (E.D.) Tillson’s motto “Forward” underneath it with the date 1872 signifying when Tillsonburg was incorporated from a village into a Town.  That date also marked when E.D. Tillson was elected as Tillsonburg’s first Mayor. George Tillson, E.D. Tillson’s father, settled the area in 1825 who is known as the founder father of Tillsonburg.

Twenty-five years ago DDM Plastics wanted to fly a town flag at the entrance of their offices. As a result, Tillsonburg Town Council held a contest to design Tillsonburg’s town flag.  Local resident Eric Crifts designed the flag while local art teacher Ches Sulkowski “tweaked” the design. On October 3, 1990 Mayor at that time Jean Ferrie flew the flag over the library. All municipal buildings including DDM Plastics flew the Tillsonbug flag. As part of a fundraising, local residents paid $2.00 to sign their names on the Tillonburg Town flag. In 1995 when Tillsonburg celebrated its 125th Anniversary, members of the 125th Anniversary Committee signed their names on that flag. 

The Union Jack
Also as part of the museum’s collection are a few British flags that were once flown in Tillsonburg. Before Canada was a country, prior to Confederate, the Royal Union flag or more commonly known as the Union Jack, was flown. Tillsonburg’s Royal Union flag was owned by one of the two Imperial Only Daughters of the Empire (IODE) Chapters in town. IODE started a chapter in Tillsonburg in 1922 called the James H. Wilson chapter, named after a patriot Principal from Tillsonburg Public School. Another chapter started in 1939 called the HMS Courageous Chapter, named after a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier shot down during WW II. This latter chapter had the Union Jack flag. IODE was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal who wanted women to demonstrate their love of Canada by providing comforts to the soldiers in the Boer War. Both Tillonsburg chapters ended due to low membership but IODE chapters throughout Canada continue today.

With England’s long and illustrious history, many, many flags were flown over her shores. During the 1270s the patron saint of England, the cross of St. George was a red cross on a white ground. In 1606 after King James I succeeded the throne; it was combined with the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, which was depicted as a diagonal white cross on a blue background. This flag would eventually form one of the two Union Jacks. The first Union Jack was from 1707 to 1801. It was originally the Royal flag.

On January 1st 1801, The Act of Union was legislation uniting Ireland with England (and Wales) and Scotland - the second Union Jack was born. From 1801 to 1965 this Royal Union “flag was flown across British North America and in Canada even after Confederation from 1867 until 1965. The Royal Union Jack was the only official National Flag of Canada.“ (Historical Flags in Canada.) This flag consists of the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland being incorporated with the other two crosses. The Union Jack represents three countries under one Sovereign. It continues to be Britain’s national flag that is flown above Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Sandringham Estate (country retreat of Her Majesty The Queen) when The Queen is not in residence.

(Photos courtesy of/& used with permission by Government of Canada)  

Diagram showing the making of the Union Jack using the 3 crosses 

(Picture from the Internet)

The Red Ensign - Canada’s Unofficial Flag
Another flag that had various designs over the years was the Red Ensign. Used by the British Merchant Marine in 1707, the Red Ensign consisted of a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper left corner.

(Photo courtesy of/& used with permission by Government of Canada) 

The term “ensign” means a flag used to indicate the nationality of a ship or aircraft. The Red Ensign was never adopted as Canada’s national flag nor was the three versions the Canadian Red Ensign flags: 1868, 1921 and 1957.  From 1868 until 1965 when it was replaced by the Maple Leaf Flag, the Red Ensign consisted of the Union Jack in the corner with the coats of arms of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as they were part of the Confederate.

(Photos courtesy of/& used with permission by Government of Canada) 

In 1921 the Red Ensign consisted of the coat of arms of the nine provinces in the Confederate. That same year the coat of arms was replaced by the Canadian Coat of Arms and approval was granted to fly this flag on Canadian government buildings abroad. Authorized by an Order in Council in 1945, this flag was also used on federal buildings in Canada until our national flag was adopted.  When Canada's coat of arms was revised in 1957, the maple leaves on the Canadian Red Ensign was updated from green to red.

Tillsonburg never had the latest version of the Red Ensign with the red leafs. This flag flew over the Town Hall until 1965 when Canada’s own flag was adopted. Due to the red colour in the flags, the exhibit is a bit dark. Jen Gibson explained that “red is susceptible to fading and the marker used on the signed flags.” Jen also pointed out that the crests on the flags were hand drawn.

Our National Flag – The Maple Leaf

At high-noon in the capital of Canada, Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on February 15, 1965, then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson raised the first official National Flag of Canada - the Maple Leaf Flag. Also in attendance was then Major-Governor General Georges-Philéas Vanier, other members of the Cabinet and thousands of Canadians. Our national flag was born, making February 2015 the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian flag. Great debates occurred whether to make the Union Jack or the Canadian Red Ensign our national flag. Strong opinions have always occurred about Canada having our own flag. During his reign, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King tried twice, in 1925 and 1945, to establish a committee to address this issue but both times he was forced to abandon the idea due to staunch outcry that it was an attack against the Union Jack.

During the 1963 federal election campaign, the Liberal Party Candidate Lester B. Pearson, promised to introduce a national flag for Canada. However, his opponent, Progressive Conservative leader and former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker opposed the idea. Similar to the sentiments of many veterans who fought under its banner, former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker opted in keeping the Canadian Red Ensign flag. Nevertheless, Lester B. Pearson kept his promise. In 1964 as Prime Minister he set up a committee. After many debates and designs, the final design of our new Canadian flag consisted of an 11-pointed red maple leaf on a white square background in between two red bands. George Stanley, Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College of Canada was the major player in the design.  Although not a statuary holiday, National Flag of Canada Day held on February 15th was established in 1996.   

At 11:56 a.m. on February 15, 1965 in Tillsonburg, Canada’s new official National Flag was raised at Annadale High School accompanied by a 21-gun salute by the Anndale High School Cadets Corps. Anndale High School had two flags, one on their flag pole and another on the roof. An hour later the National Flag of Canada was raised at the Tillsonburg Town Hall. A programme for this celebration is displayed in the “Celebrate Our Flags” exhibit. The Maple Leaf flag in the exhibit was the last flag to fly over the Federal Building that stood at the corners of Ridout and Broadway Streets and housed the Post Office, Customs and National Employment offices.  The Federal Building was demolished in 1994.

‘Brownies in Tillsonburg’
Another flag in the Tillsonburg’s collection is from the first Brownies in Tillsonburg. In the exhibit, Jen writes that the Girl Guides of Canada started a chapter in Tillsonburg in October 1923. Seven years later the Brownies formed their first pack in Tillsonburg. “Brownies are a division of the Girl Guides of Canada that is currently for seven and eight year olds. Brownies gain skills and learn about the world around them. One of the skills learned at Brownies is the significance of flags in their unit and in Canada. Girls have the opportunity to take part in coloured parties and march in parades with flags.” The First Tillsonburg Brownies flag featured an elf. 

Cadet Flags
There were two Cadet Corps in Tillsonburg. In 1910 No. 240 Cadet Corps of Canada from Annandale High School was formed and in 1960 the No. 2655 Cadet Corps from Glendale High School started.  In May 1960, Tillsonburg held a Dedication and Presentation of Flags to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Glendale High School Cadet Corps and it also marked the newly formed Glendale High School Cadet Corps. Over 400 Cadets participated in the parade for this ceremony. Glendale High School Cadet Corps disbanded in 1967, a year later so did Annandale High School Cadet Corps.

Unbeknownst to many I’m sure, is that Tillsonburg had a basketball team that went to the Olympics not once but twice in 1952 and in 1960. As members of a local Intermediate basketball team, Bill Bennet and Roy Climie approached Gerry Livingston, owner of Livingston Wood Products, in 1946 for financial assistance to purchase team uniforms which he did. However, Gerry Livingston became more than a sponsor; he wanted to create an Olympic calibre team in basketball and within his company. Many players on the Intermediate “B” basketball team were recruited from his business like Bill Coulthard who was an accountant in 1947 when he joined. Mr. Livingston also recruited outside talent to create the Tillsonburg Livingston Basketball Team, commonly known as “Livvies.” 

The Livvies
In 1952, the Livvies became the Canadian National Basketball Champions. That same year, workers from the Livingston factory installed a basketball floor on the Tillsonburg Arena to hold the Olympic Basketball Finals from May 19th to 24th where the winning team would represent Canada at the 1952 Olympic Games.  Large crowds of over 4,000 packed the Tillsonburg Arena to watch the matches between the University of Western Ontario Mustangs and the Livvies.

The Tillsonburg team won their first two games by 76-65 and 76-69 and London won the third game by 83-82. However, the Livvies won the fourth game by 87-75. As a result, the Livvies formed the nuclei of the 1952 Canadian Olympic basketball team held in Helsinki, Finland. The Livvies players on that team were comprised of: Harry Wade, Woody Campbell, Bob Phibbs, Bill Coulthard, Bob Simpson, Jim “Red” Curren and Chuck Dalton. The rest of the team members included the following: Glen Pettinger, Bill Pataky, George Wearring, Bob Pickell, Car Ridd, Roy Williams and Tillsonburg coach Paul Thomas and manager Eddie Bowering. (See pictures of this game.)

1960 Pre-Olympic Basketball Team
Mr. Livingston set his sights again to establish yet another calibre Olympic basketball team for the 1960 Olympic Games. With a different squad and new coach, members of the Livvies 1959-60 season would once again comprise part of the Canadian Pre-Olympic basketball team that played in Bologna, Italy, included the following: John McKibbon, Raymond Monnot, Barry Ager, Ambrose and Robert Gardner, Warren Reynolds, Fred Ingaldson, Don McCrae and George Stulac. However, the Canadian team came in fifth place which prevented them from advancing to play in the Olympics held in Rome, Italy.

Gallery of pictures:
(Pictures taken of the exhibit at the Museum were with consent/permission)

"They Still Have Names"
As part of the 100 Events to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of WW1 called Oxford Remembers, Scott Gillies, the Curator from the Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum, invited author, historian and veteran Grant Smith to speak on Thursday May 28, 2015 to a small gathering on how to look for military relatives who served during World War One. The discussion went well with the Museum’s theme at that time, Reaction & Recruitment: Oxford Goes to War.

Entitled "They Still Have Names," Grant Smith’s presentation outlined how the men who fought with the 133rd Battalion were from Brownsville, Tillsonburg and other parts of South-West Oxford and the history of the Maple Leaf. Which ties in well with the Canadian Flag just celebrating its 50th Anniversary on July 1st. Grant also confessed that he is a "fanatical Toronto Maple Leaf fan" since 1946. Listening to his presentation, every Canadian should be.

Grant Smith
After reading a poem, Scott Gillies reported that Grant Smith, a Delhi native, served as a helicopter pilot with the Canadian Armed Forces who has a passion for the two World Wars. Grant Smith explained the title of his presentation. He saw the movie Dead Poet’s Society where one of the students touched a war memorial and said “they still have names.” Grant wanted to dedicate this to Private Andrew Miller, a soldier’s wish, who was killed in action in June 2010. He had written to his mother “tell them who I was and ask them never to forget me.”

Grant’s father was a Sergeant Major who fought in the Second World War. As a child Grant was surrounded by veterans and read the Legionnaire Magazine. By 14 years of age he knew all the great Canadian battles like Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele to name a few. Grant recalled while watching a televised hockey game in 1954 between the Hamilton Junior A Red Wings and the Toronto Marlies and wondered why the Marlies’ crest was a Crown superimposed on a Maple Leaf and why was it on a hockey jersey?

The Crown on the Maple Leaf
Fast forward 50 years later to 2004; Grant once again saw the Crown on the Maple Leaf. He was asked by his son to be an Assistant Coach in the Markham Minor Hockey Association. The Markham sweaters had the crest of the Crown superimposed on a
Maple Leaf but no one knew why. Then a revelation! In June 2013, a select Markham major Bantam hockey team went to Maple Leaf Gardens where Grant Smith heard “the holy grail” speech on Conn Smythe.

      On how he [Conn Smythe] had built Maple Leaf Gardens in the middle  of the 
       Depression opening it in 1938. Scattered around the dressing room are hockey
       bags that bore the insignia of the Crown superimposed on a Maple Leaf. And
       in that moment everything I knew about the First World War converged with
       my passion for the Toronto Maple Leafs and I shouted out to the room: "AND
       CONN SMYTHE WAS AT VIMY RIDGE". And so began the quest for the answer 
        as to why the Crown and Maple Leaf was on a Markham sweater.

Maybe if both Canadians and Toronto Maple Leaf players knew this history and the insignia, then maybe the players would play better and more Canadians would be fans?

 Vimy Ridge
Grant Smith then explained how during World War I the French and British  failed to take Vimy Ridge on three different occasions and in 2 1/2 years and lost over 65,000 men. Vimy Ridge was a 7- kilometer long tract where Hill 145 was located which had a height equivalent to a 50-story building. On top of this hill the Vimy Memorial would later stand.  The land flatten out to Farbus Woods where the Germans had their big guns.  In 1917, it was Canada's turn to try to take Vimy Ridge.

For three months the Canadian soldiers underwent intensive training where each battalion would be responsible for taking a segment of the German trenches along the Ridge. At 5:30 a.m. on Easter, Monday April 9, 1917, the Canadian soldiers began their attack at Vimy Ridge with two waves and 985 Canadian and British artillery guns. The first wave consisted of 20,00 soldiers in 25 Battalions. It was the 50th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Grant illustrated this by using the audience as waves of Canadian Corps. "The fabric of the men and women of the Canadian army was a varied as it is today: Native Canadians, Greeks, Italians, Chinese, Hungarians, Poles, Macedonians, Ukrainians, Indians, French, English, Scots and Irishmen. But they all gave their nationality as Canadian. It was possible the largest gathering of Canadians ever."

Describing the battlefield
Through his research, Grant Smith knew that the 168 Oxford County and the 133rd Norfolk Battalions were scattered throughout the army with 500 Norfolk men who participated in the battle of Vimy Ridge along with Artillery Officer Conn Smythe.  Grant read some letters from these soldiers to family members back home describing the battle. 

     Easter Sunday,  April 8 - Lt. Frank Smith of Townsend, 2nd Battalion:
     Dear Father:
     It is Easter Sunday. We have just had our dinner and I am writing this in the
     field surrounded by thousands of other Canadians. It is a beautiful day. The
     sun is bright and we are all hoping tomorrow will be as nice for we are looking
     forward to its being the biggest day in Canadian history. I am proud to be here
     to do my little bit with the rest of the boys. By the time you get this letter you
     will know what has happened. My trust in God and all is in His hands. In order
     to win this war and destroy the awful menace that is at our gate, sacrifices must
     be made and lives laid down. (See video of Grant reading this letter.)

The War Diary of the 14th Battalion
Grant read another Soldier's letter:
      Major Guy McDowell of North Walsingham, Princes Patrica Canadian Light
      Infantry
      Dear wife: The Canadian troops went over the top on Monday April 9th, at
      5:30 o'clock, preceded by a wonderful barrage from the artillery and machine
      guns. It was so perfect that the German troops did not have a chance to get out
      of their dugouts before our men were at their trenches. It is impossible to imagine
      what heavy barrage it like. The noise is terrible, and there appears to be a sheet
      of flame moving toward the enemy. When you realize that some of the guns used
      are four to five miles in the rear and that the slightest  mistake in elevation or an
      error in judging the wind would make the shells fall short and kill our own men,
      shows how serenity artillery has become.

      As for our own battalion, several things out of the ordinary happened which
      might interest you. One was the band played the men over the humping off
       trench, as it is called. This is a pipe band and is perhaps the only pipe band
       in France not with a highland battalion. The city of Winnipeg presented the
       P.P.C.L.I. with this band when the battalion was first recruited, and it has been
     with them ever since. Also the men actually kicked a football across the contested
     ground. I had read such things happening, but thought it was mostly paper talk.
(See video.)

Grant also read several letters from the War Diary of the 14th Battalion which included Norfolk stories of the advance. According to the war diary's by 7:10 a.m. the Red Line objective was reached; 16 Norfolk men had been killed. After a two hour break the second wave began their final assault on Farbus Woods. By 2:00 p.m. the Canadians had taken Vimy Ridge. Four Norfolk men in the 4th Battalion were killed in action.

Vimy Ridge taken
With a choked voice, Grant read an expert from the newspaper from that time:
     Vimy was the pinnacle of Canadian military  achievement. Canada
      could now take its place among the nations of the world. But what
      a price! While there was breast-thumping pride throughout Canada,
      3,598 families were left to mourn the death of a father, son or brother
      lost on the slopes of Vimy. Over 10,000 more were wounded.

From his research, Grant Smith reported that 22 Norfolk men were killed; 15 were buried in the Nine Elms Cemetery  in Belgium along with two Oxford County men. The two Oxford County soldiers killed were Ernest Hanfield and Private Thomas Cussons. I had the distinct pleasure to be of sitting beside the latter's relative that was in the audience. 

Grant Ingersoll Native Thomas Cussons was named after his uncle who had enlisted in Ingersoll on January 20, 1916. Private Thomas Cusson was killed during the second wave of the attack during the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Grant Smith further reported that the Canadian soldiers "will go on to win battles at Hill 70, Passchndaele, Amiens, Canal du Nord and establish themselves as the most potent 'shock troops' in the war. In the end over 67,000 will die.

And they all had one thing in common - their Canadian cap badge that featured a Crown superimposed on a Maple Leaf. "
  
The Conn Smythe Story
After World War I, Conn Smythe bought a hockey team called the Toronto St. Patrick's in 1927 and renamed it the Toronto Maple Leafs. Grant read the following excerpt why Smythe chose the name:

        The Maple Leaf to us, was the badge of courage, the badge that meant home.
        It was a the badge that reminded us all of our exploits and the different
        difficulties we got into and the different accomplishments we made. It
       was a badge that meant more to us than any other badge that we could
       think of... so we chose it... hoping that the possession of this badge
       would mean something to the team that wore it and when they skated
       out on the ice with this badge on their chest... they would wear it with
       honour and pride and courage, the way it had been worn by the soldiers
       of the first Great War in the Canadian Army.

Grant reported: "It is the same Maple Leaf that is engraved on the graves stones of our soldiers."

Grant Smith then tells the audience of the connection. Conn Smythe was affiliated with a Major Junior A team called the Marlies which he gave them a crest of a Royal Crown superimposed on a Maple Leaf. The Marlies were affiliated with the Junior B Team the Markham Waxers who also wear the Maple Leaf and Crown. On Opening Day in 1938, Conn Symthe had the Pipes and Drums of the 48th Highland Regiment of Canada - the 15 Battalion at the Battle of Vimy- march onto centre ice to play "The Maple Leaf For Ever."

Bringing it Home
Grant returns to his story in the dressing room at the Markham ice rink. During their first hockey game Grant told the boys a short version of the above mentioned story. During their last game of the season with a a score of 1-1, Grant was asked by his son to give a pep talk. He said to the team: "Boys. You are taking the Maple Leaf to the top of the hill today and you are not stopping half way up. You're going all the way to the top." Grant said the team stormed out of the dressing room and won the game. Later, one boy told his mother that coming out of the dressing room they felt like soldiers.

Grant Smith cited that the moral of the story: "The Maple Leaf is our emblem. It is not some passive warm and cuddly symbol. It was baptized in our blood and will always lead from the front. If you are a Canadian, hockey imitates life. Our younger generation does listen to our stories and songs. We only need to take the time to tell them the words."

Like myself, the rest of the audience was in awe of Grant Smith's story. Someone made the comment that if this was the States, everyone would know of this history. How  true. Every Canadian and hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leaf, should know the history of how the Maple Leaf became the insignia on the hockey jersey. I am sure this story would instil national pride with both the Toronto Maple Leaf players and Canadians who then would be proud to support their hockey team. For the players would play with pride and courage and the team would once again be a source of Canadian pride and Canadians could become "fanatical" Toronto Maple Leaf fans.

Oxford Remembers
Oxford Remembers Oxford's Own - Guide to 100 WW1 Commemorative Events happening in Oxford 2014 - 2018

Gallery of pictures from Grant Smith's presentation. (Pictures taken of the exhibit at the Museum and of Grant Smith's slide show were with consent and permission.) See videos.

Quote: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.” ~ From Poem “For the Fallen” by Robert Laurence Binyon

Tillsonburg’s Annual Turtlefest and the opening of Otterville’s Splash pad, just another fun-filled family packed awesome weekend in Oxford County with beautiful weather!

Tillsonburg’s 5th Annual Turtlefest
Patricia Phelps, the Curator of Annandale Historical Site & Museum, was the brainchild behind Tillsonburg's Turtlefest who reported that “Leamington can have tomatoes and Weirton can have Willy, Tillsonburg can have George T.” While researching for topics about 15 to 16 years ago, a newspaper article from 1890 was found reporting how George Tillson, the founder of Tillsonburg, Ontario, stated he would return as a turtle after he died to see how his town prospered. Mr. Tillson died in 1864. According to the newspaper article, a large turtle was found at the Tillson homestead - located off Vienna Street - which a man could stand on. They named the turtle George T and he was put in a cage and displayed to the public.

Patricia Phelps felt the turtle George T should be resurrected and a Committee was struck 6 years ago. As a result, Tillsonburg has been celebrating Turtlefest for 5 years. The three-day long festivity brings over 1,000 people to Tillsonburg with events occurring at various sites throughout the town including the Annandale Historical Site & Museum. This year's event occurred from June 19th to the 21st.

Never Give Up
Children’s author, Jan Everett, explained how she wrote and illustrated her book Never Give Up as a surprise birthday present for her husband John. The children’s book is about how John tries to save turtles by helping them cross the road. John explained to a group of young children that an underground tunnel was built, the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project, "putting him out of business" for all crawling critters, including snakes, use the tunnel to cross the road. Never Give Up is Jan Everett's first book that she wrote two years ago. She has sold over 500 copies which has been an inspiration to cancer survives but "the book is for everyone" Jan says. The book sells for $9.99.

U-Belong Initiative
Amanda is a Secret Agent for the U-Belong Initiative with her bunjo chairs. The goal is to encourage people to sit and chat to get to know one another. "Oxford County is one, we are not Tillsonburg, Woodstock or Ingersoll we are all Oxford County. We need to break down the barriers from where we live."  The idea came from the Buddy Bench that a child in the United States came up with. Bunjo chairs will be at all events and festivities throughout Oxford County; it made its debut at Turtlefest.

Turtle Haven
Angie Schoen, is a Wildlife Custodian from Turtle Haven, a non-profit organization dedicated in protecting and providing shelter to turtles and tortoises, explained how pet stores do not report that the cute tiny green turtles grow to the size of dinner plates. Red-Eared Sliders are turtles sold in pet stores that owners tend to release in the wild after 5 years when they grow big and smell. However, Sliders are invasive turtles that are no match for our native Midland Painted Turtles once in the wild. Seven out of 8 species of Ontario turtles are at risk with 2 listed as endangered. As a result, Angie encourages people to call  519-264-2440 when an injured and/or dead turtle is found.

While there, Turtle Biologist Jory Mullen dropped off an injured Snapping Turtle that she cared for to Turtle Haven. All native turtles even injured ones that are taken home to be cared for, must be returned to a rehabilitation centre like Turtle Haven after 3 days.

Dolly & The Skunk Lady
A lot of interesting fact sheets were available at the Ontario Wildlife Rescue table. Animal rescuers, Dana and Josh specialize in providing care to injured animals and amphibians that can include owls, turtles and even skunks to reptiles. Laurel Beechey from Tillsonburg is known as The Skunk Lady who cares for injured skunks. Dolly is a licensed educational animal under MNR that is de-sprayed.

Other displays and activities at the Annandale Historical Site & Museum included the Pioneer Cemetery, face painting, Turtle Tales, Turtle Find, Turtle Tea and a Historical Walking Tour. Both the little ones and adults alike had plenty to do and see at the 5th Annual Tillsonburg Turtlefest.

Otterville's Mini-Splash Pad
June 20th marked the official opening of the mini-splash pad at Otterville Park and naming of the park. Members from the Otterville Optimist Club, the Friends of the Otterville Park and the Otterville fire fighters all helped to organize and fund-raised for this project. Don King reported that after finding out in 2012 that the wading pool would be coming out, plans were made to have it replaced. “When something needs to be done it gets done” Don said of Otterville residents.
The Trillium Foundation gave a $30,000 grant to cover the $70,000 costs. With various sprayers, the min-splash pad is intended for small children to use. Aside from the splash pad being added, benches and landscaping were installed as well as paving stones with donor’s names on them were around the edge of the pad.

According to Gail Lewis, Otterville chose the pool to be a War Memorial. Father and son Dr. H. W. Downing and Dr. Murray Downing thought it would be a good thing for they were treating a lot of infections from children swimming in the Mill Pond. Both the big pool and the wading pool were constructed in 1949. Martin Smith did all the excavation for free as he lost his daughter who had drowned in Mill Pond.

Otterville Park has a lot of history. It once housed a Crystal Palace that was dismantled to be assembled in the park where Big Bands played like Guy Lombardo with his brother. Gail recalled the story that when Guy played in Otterville, his mother kicked the kitchen staff out saying “no one but me cooks for my boys.”  Various sports were played there including baseball were the games were integrated with both white and black players in the 1800s. Otterville Park was designated a historical site in 1991 to commemorate its 100th anniversary.

There are many more stories and historical information on Otterville Park but that will be for another post.


Gallery of pictures from the 5th Annual Tillsonburg Turtlefest & Otterville's Mini-Splash Pad Opening. (NOTE: Guardians' consent and approval was obtained to photograph their children.)

Quote: “Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.” ~ James Bryant Conant