Kenora Great War Project

 

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The People

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These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.

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Hendrie, Archibald

Archibald Hendrie was born on 6 December 1893 in Barrhead, Neilston Parish in Renfrewshire, Scotland. His father Archibald Hendrie, a calico machine tenter, was from Bonhill, Dunbarton while his mother Jessie Little, a cotton mill worker, was from Neilston. Archibald and Jessie married on 30 December 1892 in Barrhead. Jessie, a widow, had previously married… Read More »

Lusk, Robert Bruce

During the First World War more than 11,000 employees of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company enlisted for service and 1,116 of them gave their lives. Private Robert Bruce Lusk was working as a locomotive fireman for the CPR in Kenora, Ontario when he signed up in December 1914. He arrived in Belgium in March 1916… Read More »

Blondin, Adam

According to his baptism record Adam Blondin was born on 8 March 1870 in the parish of St Alphonse, Allumettes Island in Quebec. He was the son of Francis Blondin and Marguerite Romain who had married in 1856 in LaPasse, Ontario. Other known children born to the family were Harriet (1858), Joseph (1860), Emily (1863),… Read More »

Lacasse, William

Born on 2  December 1892 in Keewatin, Ontario, William Lacasse was a middle son of Anselme (more commonly known as Samuel) and Wilhemina Melina (née Desmarais) Lacasse, parents being French Canadian, originally  from the Ottawa/Gatineau area. Samuel and Melina married on 27 April 1885 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Melina’s family having moved to… Read More »

Freeman, John Buckland

Private John Buckland Freeman was born into a large family in Maidstone, Kent, England on 27 September 1885. His father, Edmund Freeman, was born in Maidstone and he worked as a labourer in stone quarries. John’s mother, Emily Buckland, was born in Maidstone or the nearby village of Ditton and she worked in local paper… Read More »

Carlson, Gustave Edwin

Gustave Edwin Antonius (Gus) Carlson was born on 22 October 1893 in Sundsvall, Västernorrland, Sweden. His father Carl Carlson was from NordingrГҐ in Västernorrland while his mother Sofia Amanda Westmark was from Pitea in Norbotton. The couple had married in Brunno in GudmundrГҐ in Västernorrland in 1888. Over the years Carl’s occupation in Sweden was… Read More »

Butcher, Frederick Spencer

Frederick Spencer Butcher was born on 15 October 1889 in Granite Falls, Minnesota. According to the 1890 Minnesota census both his parents Samuel and Mary (Hall) Butcher were from Michigan. For the census his father was working as a express carrier, possibly for gold, and living with the family was Fred’s older sister Vernie. A… Read More »

Sweeney, Thomas

Thomas (Tom) Sweeney was born on 16 July 1896 in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, date confirmed by his birth record. Both of his parents Thomas Sweeney and Jane Doughty were born in Ireland, Thomas in Donegal and Jane in Meath. The couple married on 24 January 1892 in Falkirk where Thomas Sr was working as a… Read More »

Ivanovitch, Ladimier

According to his attestation papers, Ladimier Ivanovitch was born 25 May 1892 in Russia.  In 1917 he was drafted into the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He signed his attestation papers on 11 November of 1917 in Winnipeg. It was noted that he was a defaulter, meaning he had not shown up when first called. At that… Read More »

Barr, Donald Edward

According to his attestation papers Donald Edward Barr was born on 2 November 1887 in Arnprior, Ontario. Both of his parents James and Agnes (née Dewar) Barr were from the area and had married in Arnprior in 1881. By the 1891 Canada census the family was living in Pine Creek, Alberta where James was listed… Read More »