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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Woods, James Huston Ross

James Huston Ross  Woods was born on 14  January 1893 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father Arthur Woods, son of Irish immigrant Russel Woods and Quebec born Eliza Huston, grew up on a farm in the Kildare/Joliette, Quebec region. His mother Harriet Ross, daughter of William and Margaret (née Caswell) Ross was… Read More »

Howard, Clifford

Clifford Howard was born on 24 August 1897 in Kingston upon Hull (Hull for short), Yorkshire, England. His father was Matthew Edward Howard who worked for the most part as a painter although also found on censuses as a perambulator maker and a hand cart painter. His mother was Sarah Jane Gibson. The couple had… Read More »

Williamson, James Albert Richard

Sapper James Albert Richard Williamson enlisted with the 52nd Battalion in Kenora, Ontario and served overseas for three and a half years, most of that time with the Canadian Engineers. He returned to Canada in March 1919. According to his attestation James was born in Keewatin, Ontario on 25 March 1886. Other records indicate a… Read More »

Sorel, Peter

According to his attestation papers Peter Sorel (Sorle) was born on 28 July 1882 in Stockholm, Sweden. Signing his attestation papers in North Bay, Ontario on 11 September 1916, Peter had been working as a miner and living in Kenora, Ontario. He gave his father Jonas Matson (Sorle) of Ndland, Sorle via Namos, Norway as… Read More »

Nelson, Joseph

Joseph Nelson was born on 20 August 1871 in the parish/inner city  of Toxeth in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. His father James was from Ormskirk, a town just north of Liverpool, while his mother Julia, the daughter of Irish immigrants, was born in Leeds, Yorkshire. The family first lived in Wednesbury in Staffordshire where children Edward… Read More »

Reid, William John

William John Reid was born on 2 June 1896 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), in northwestern Ontario, date confirmed by his baptism record. His parents Charles Francis Reid and Mary Elizabeth Savage were both born in New Brunswick, marrying on 1 November 1887 in Newcastle. Son Francis William (Frank) was born in 1888 in… Read More »

Francis, David

Private David Francis arrived in France in August 1916 and joined the 43rd Battalion in the field in September. He was killed in action two weeks later in the attack on Regina Trench, one of 24,000 casualties suffered by the Canadian Corps during the Somme Offensive. David was the oldest son of James Francis and… Read More »

McLeish, William Roderick

Gunner William Roderick McLeish enlisted in January 1915 and served overseas for four years with the Canadian Army Medical Corps and the Canadian Field Artillery. He returned to Canada in June 1919. William was born on 2 June 1883 in Dalton Township, Victoria County, Ontario, with his birth registered in Dalton Township in March 1884…. Read More »

Barclay, Alexander

Alexander Barclay was born 06 January 1889 in Dufftown, Scotland.   He was the only son of George Barclay and Jane MacIntosh. His sisters were Georgina, Jean, Jessie, Bella and Mary.  He received his education in Scotland. In April of 1908 Alexander immigrated to Canada listing his occupation as farm labourer. He went to Baddeck,… Read More »

McFadden, Daniel Joseph

Daniel Joseph McFadden was born on 1 July 1878 In Kilsyth, Grey, Ontario, a small community on the outskirts of Owen Sound. His father John McFadden, wagon maker, was born in Ireland while his mother Mary Catherine McClarty was from the area. Daniel had two older sisters, Mary Ann and Catherine, and two younger sisters,… Read More »