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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Adams, James Andrew

Lance Sergeant James Andrew Adams served with the 5th Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles in France and Belgium. He was wounded three times and he died in November 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. James was the oldest son of Donald Fraser Adams and Isabella Alice Alford of Matapédia, Bonaventure County, Quebec. Donald was a farmer… Read More »

Bella, Joseph Marshall

Joseph Marshall Bella was born on 4 April 1882 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. His father Joseph Marshall Bella, a saddler by trade, was born about 1844 in Caledon, County Tyrone, Ireland. Joseph Sr had married Louise Griffiths during the 3rd quarter of 1868 in the registration district of West Derby, Lancashire and together the couple… Read More »

Jones, William Wyndham

William Jones was among the first Kenora volunteers. His name was published on Aug. 12, 1914 as having enlisted in the 98th Regiment following a call for volunteers on Aug. 9. Born in Wales to Thomas and Hannah Jones, both he and his brother Thomas immigrated to Canada in May 1913 and worked at the… Read More »

McDonald, Walter John

According to his baptism record, Walter John (Jack) McDonald was born on 19 November 1896 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father Duncan Alexander McDonald was from Ontario while his mother Mary Elizabeth Kerr was from Scotland, the couple marrying on 21 October 1886 in East Selkirk, Manitoba. By the time of the… Read More »

Ferguson, Malcolm MacKenzie

Malcolm MacKenzie Ferguson was born on 26 July 1888 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father David Thompson Ferguson, watchmaker and jeweller, was from Collingwood, Ontario while his mother Jean Anderson Nisbet MacKenzie was from Doon, a village that is now a suburb in Kitchener, Ontario. Jean’s father was a minister and had… Read More »

Cossey, Hylton Herbert

Hylton Herbert Cossey was born on 01 March 1894 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. His parents, Herbert Thomas Cossey and Rose Annie Lake were married in Yarmouth in 1893. They had four children – Hylton, Ruby, Claude and Donald when they immigrated to Canada in June of 1903.  Herbert was a boat builder and he… Read More »

Carrie, Thomas

Sapper Thomas Carrie joined the Canadian Engineers in September 1915 and served overseas for three and a half years. While he was away his wife and young son moved to the UK and lived there for two years. Thomas was born on 29 March 1883 in Little Bolton, Lancashire, England. His parents were John Sobieski… Read More »

LaRocque, Hillary Ulric

Hillary Ulric LaRocque was born on 30 January 1894 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) in northwestern Ontario. His parents Augustin LaRocque and Henriette Boivin had married on 14 April 1873 in Ottawa. Augustin had previously married Marie Clare Rochon in St Eustache in 1866 but sadly she died in 1872 in Ottawa, the couple… Read More »

Dalziel, John Thomas

Acting Sergeant John Thomas Dalziel was the only son of John Law Dalziel and Mary Agnes Hunter of Kenora, Ontario. John Law was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland and immigrated to Canada as a young man. He lived briefly in Winnipeg, Manitoba before settling in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora). Mary was born in Ayrshire, Scotland… Read More »

Fearn, Alexander Sturrock

Driver Alexander Sturrock Fearn joined the Canadian Army Service Corps in December 1915, at age 25. He served overseas for three years and returned to Canada in May 1919. Alexander was born on 18 September 1890 in the parish of Monikie in Forfarshire, Scotland. His mother, Annie Wilson Fearn, was 21 years old at the… Read More »