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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Reynolds, Basil

Basil Reynolds was born on 26 November 1892 in Stratford, Ontario, birth registered by his father on December 17th (Archives of Ontario Series MS929 Reel 112). Both of his parents, Dominic Daniel Reynolds and Catherine Patricia Hanlon, were first generation Canadians of Irish descent, born in the Township of Clinton. According to the birth record… Read More »

Smith, Charles Henry

Charles Henry Smith was one of three brothers, the oldest of seven sons of Charles Alexander Smith of Keewatin, Ontario to enlist during the Great War. Charles Henry Smith served with the U.S. Army while his brothers John Wesley Smith and Leonard Edward Smith served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Charles Henry was Charles Smith’s… Read More »

McDiarmid, James Willard

Private James Willard McDiarmid enlisted in October 1915 at age 20 and served overseas with a field ambulance unit for almost three years. He returned to Canada in May 1919. His only brother Findlay Howard McDiarmid was killed in November 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele. James was the youngest son of James and Ida… Read More »

Figsby, William Henry

William Henry Figsby was one of the men to answer the first call for volunteers when the Great War began in August 1914. Along with 43 other Kenora and Keewatin men, Figsby stepped forward when the local militia unit, the 98th Regiment, was given a directive to raise a local group of men for the… Read More »

Belanger, Alfred Leon

Private Alfred Leon Belanger enlisted in the spring of 1918 and served overseas for eight months. He returned to Canada with his unit, the 52nd Battalion, in March 1919. Alfred was the son of Joseph Belanger and Adelaide Fisher of St. Boniface, Manitoba. Joseph was from Quebec and Adelaide was born and raised in Manitoba…. Read More »

Ross, Roy Oscar

Private Roy Oscar Ross enlisted in Port Arthur, Ontario on 30 April 1915. According to his service file he was born on 22 November 1884 in the town of Kenora, Ontario, which was known as Rat Portage at the time. He was married, an engineer and next of kin was his wife, Mrs. E. Ross,… Read More »

Barker, Francis Oliver

According to his attestation papers Francis Oliver (Frank) Barker was born on 13 January 1887 in Foxboro near Belleville, Ontario. A birth record was not found and his BC death record gives his place of birth as Belleville. His father Frederick (Fred) Joseph Barker was from Shoreditch, London, England and had immigrated to Canada in… Read More »

Zaremba, Michael

Michael Zaremba was born on the 21 May 1894 in Russia. By 14 July 1915 when he enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service in WW1, he was living in Montreal, Quebec and had the occupation of labourer.  He joined the 41st Battalion and arrived in England on 28 October 1915.  The following June… Read More »

McCall, Wallace Henry

Although he gave his place of birth as Simcoe, Ontario on his attestation papers,  Wallace Henry  (Henry Wallace  on birth registration) McCall was born on  15  October 1877 in nearby Charlotteville, Norfolk. His parents Lewis and Prudence (née Cassills) McCall had married 29 December 1869 in Charlotteville, Lewis’ occupation was given as farmer. Children born… Read More »