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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Ferrier, Lionel Gray

Staff Sergeant Lionel Gray Ferrier was called up in November 1917, at age 22. He served in Canada and Great Britain for two years, most of that time with Clearing Services Command. Lionel was the only son of Robert Wallace Ferrier and Sarah Ann ‘Sadie’ Gray of Kenora, Ontario. Robert and Sarah were both born… Read More »

Coppard, Richard

Private Richard Coppard enlisted in February 1915 and arrived in France a year later. He suffered gas poisoning in March 1918 and died in a hospital in England. Richard was the oldest son of Henry Coppard and Maria McPherson of Kenora, Ontario. Henry, also known as Harry, was from Rye, Sussex, England and his wife… Read More »

McGimsie, Samuel Charles

Samuel Charles McGimsie was born on 4 August 1887 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father Samuel Charles McGimsie, contractor,  was born in Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, the son of Scottish immigrants, and his mother Susan Charlotte George was born in Cobourg, Northumberland. The couple married in 1875 in Cobourg with Charlotte’s brother officiating… Read More »

Reid, Alexander McCready

Alexander McCready Reid was born on 21 August 1884 in the community of Pollokshaws in Glasgow, Scotland. His father James Reid, a joiner, was from Ayr, Ayrshire while his mother Margaret (Maggie) McConnachie Hendrie was from Bonhill in Dunbartonshire. The couple married on 2 June 1876 in Pollokshaws. Alexander had an older brother James and… Read More »

Byington, Charles Floyd

Charles Floyd Byington was born on 10 May 1896 in Portland, Leeds, Ontario. His parents were Charlotte Byington and George Warren but he was raised by his grandparents Napoleon and Ruth (Dunn) Byington as their son. Napoleon and Ruth’s children, thought as siblings to Floyd, were David (1872), George (1875-1942), Milton (1877), Charlotte (1880-1973), Johanna… Read More »

Begg, Adolphus

Adolphus Henry Begg was born on 17 April 1891 in the Rat Portage, Ontario (later named Kenora) area. His parents were John and Juliette (Sturgeon) Begg. The son of Charles Begg, a Hudson Bay Company employee that had immigrated from Favel, Sandwick, Orkney, Scotland in 1831 and married a Metis woman, Catherine Spence, Adolphus’ father… Read More »

Benson, Bjornstjerni

Bjornstjerne Benson (alias Johnson) was born in Langruth, Manitoba. He had five brothers: Ben, Chris, Karl, Bladur and Carl, and two sisters, Gudny and Margaret. His parents were Bjorn Benedictson and Sigridur Jonsdottir. He was born 01 March, 1900, and his father was a farmer. Just after his 18th birthday, Bjorn attested with the Fort… Read More »

Bull, Thomas Richard

Thomas Richard Bull  was  born on 8 February 1888  in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. His parents were John Albert and Emma (née Talbot) Bull who had married during the last quarter of 1881 in Aston, Warwickshire. The family was found in the England 1891 census living in the inner-city of Sparkhill, Birmingham, occupation of John given… Read More »

Bernard, Pierre Noel

Pierre Noel Bernard enlisted with the 94th Battalion for overseas service during WW1 on 17 February 1916 in Kenora, Ontario.  He stated that he was born on 25 December 1877 in St. Ann, Quebec. Birth records (Drouin Collection) show that he was actually born in 1868, so he was 48 years old when he signed… Read More »