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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Smart, William

Sergeant William Smart was the son of David Smart and Janet Bowie of Keewatin, Ontario. David and Janet were both born in Scotland. They were married there in 1878 and William was born the following year in Kineton, Warwickshire, England. David and his family were living in Old Stratford, Warwickshire when the 1881 census was… Read More »

Chivers, Patrick

Patrick Chivers was born on 17 January 1897 at home at 40 Wilkies Lane in Liff and Benvie in the district of St Peter on the outskirts of the city of Dundee in Scotland. At the time of his birth and up until his enlistment, the spelling of the surname was Shivers. His father Patrick… Read More »

Horwood, Amos Fred

On April 24, 1885 Amos Fred Horwood (known as Fred), was born in London, England to Amos Horwood (Sr.) and Eliza L. Oates.   Immigrating to Canada May 1906 on board the ship Lake Manitoba, 21 year old, Amos disembarked at   Montreal from Liverpool and he made his way to Keewatin, Ontario.   His… Read More »

Metail, John Casimer

According to his attestation papers, John Casimer Metail was born on 29 August 1897 in Norman, Ontario, a village just west of Kenora in northwestern Ontario. His father Joseph Metail was from Saint-Jeures, Haute-Loire, France while his mother Anne Charlotte Crepet was from nearby Chambon-Feugerolles, Loire where the couple married on 30 October 1893. The… Read More »

Thornton, Robert

Robert Thornton was born on 30 September 1893 in Norman, Ontario, a small community a couple of kilometres west of Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) in northwestern Ontario. Both of his parents were born in Scotland, father Peter Thornton in 1850 in Edinburgh and mother Janet Middlemas Anderson in 1857 in Paisley. The couple married… Read More »

Burchall, Douglas

Douglas Burchall was born on 7 October  1891 in Bredbury, Cheshire, England. His parents were William James and Margaret (née Ballantyne) Burchall who had married during the last quarter of 1873 in Ashton under Lyne, Cheshire. By the 1901 England census the family was living in Bredbury, Cheshire, occupation of William listed as a teacher… Read More »

Fahey, Edward William

Edward William Fahey was born on 24 May 1889 in the Bass River area of Weldford, Kent in New Brunswick where his family farmed. His parents, both from New Brunswick, were John Fahey and Estella Johnston. Children born to the couple were Jane (1886), Gordon (1888-1888), Edward, Mary Winnifred (1891), Lillian Emeline (1894), Catherine Ann… Read More »

Kelley, John Henry

Although he gave his year of birth as 1891 on his attestation papers, John Henry (Jack) Kelley was born on 7 November 1890 in Keewatin, Ontario. Located in northwestern Ontario, Keewatin was a thriving community of the time, largely due to the Lake of the Woods Milling Company. Jack was the first born  son of… Read More »