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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Harris, Edward John

Edward John Harris was born on 13 November 1883 in Abingdon, Berkshire, England. His parents Frank Henry Harris, an emery wheel and machine maker, and Sarah Jane Reeves had married during the first quarter of 1878 in the registration district of Wantage in Berkshire. Edward had two older siblings, Muriel Hannah (1879) and Henry Reeves… Read More »

Wynne, Harold Everett

Lance Corporal Harold Everett Wynne enlisted in Winnipeg in March 1916, at age 18. He suffered a bayonet wound in September 1917 while training in France and he was invalided back to Canada about four months later. Harold was the only son of John Everett Wynne and Eliza Fowler. John and his wife were both… Read More »

Swanson, George Alban

George Alban Swanson was born on 18 March 1890 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. His father George Christian Swanson was from Norway while his mother Annie Grace Lesett was from England. Over the years George Sr worked as a railway section foreman, miner, and forest ranger. Children born to the family in Rat… Read More »

Dunn, St. Clair

Captain St. Clair Dunn was a practising physician when he was commissioned as an officer in the spring of 1916. He went overseas that fall and arrived in France a year later. St. Clair was killed in action near the Vimy front in March 1918. St. Clair was the son of Robert Dunn and Charlotte… Read More »

Gudgeon, Thomas

Thomas Gudgeon was born on 21 October 1874 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. His father Robert Gudgeon was from Northampton, Northamptonshire while his mother Mary Hooton was from Saxilby in Lincolnshire. The couple married in June of 1866 in Lincoln. Over the years Robert’s occupation was listed as brass polisher or brass finisher. Children born… Read More »

Makinen, Severi

According to his attestation papers, Severi Makinen was born on 2 May 1887 in ‘Wava, Alvo’, Finland. He had immigrated to Canada by the time of the 1911 census, found working as a railroad labourer at Linko (Raith) near Thunder Bay at the time. On 25 December 1917, in Fort William, Severi married Bernadette Langlois…. Read More »

Ross, John Alexander

John Alexander Ross, known as Jack to many and as Oley to his closest friends, was born in what was then Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) in October 1893 to Walter and Grace Ross. His parents had married in 1888 in Windsor, Ontario and moved to Rat Portage a short time later. Their first child,… Read More »

McIlwraith, William Shankland

William Shankland McIlwraith was born on 28 October 1887 in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were David McIlwraith and Agnes Shanklin. According to the 1901 Scotland Census his siblings included: Jeanie (b.1884), Thomas (b. 1886), Maggie (b.1889), Hastings (b. 1893), and Isabella (b. 1896). William immigrated to Canada arriving on 30 June 1912.  His occupation was… Read More »

Lozinski, Joseph

Joseph Lozinski was born on 4 October 1899 in Bosyry, Ukraine. He was the son of Joannis (Jan) Lozinski and Anna Gurin (Hurin). According to a later article about his retirement, he served in the Polish Army from 1917 to 1925. On 24 October 1920, in the Ukraine, he married Tetana. In 1927 Joseph immigrated… Read More »

Bellefeuille, William Joseph

William Joseph Bellefeuille was born on 06 May 1885 in Petawawa, Ontario. He was the youngest child of Gabriel Bellefeuille and Sarah Knight. Siblings included: Ebenezer, Levi (1867-1924), Maria Louisa (1870-1949), Mary Isabella (1871-1938), Sarah Alma (1873-1938), Ida Matilda (1875-1956), Gabriel (1877-) Theophile (1879-1933) and John (1882-). By 1901 the Bellefeuille family was living at… Read More »