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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Lalonde, Leo James

Private Leo James Lalonde enlisted in April 1916 and served with the Canadians Corps for over two years. For much of that time he was a front line soldier but he suffered from health problems and he spent several months in hospitals in England and France. He died of illness in November 1918, a week… Read More »

Sherin, Charles Frederick

Private Charles Frederick Sherin enlisted three times, in May 1916 at age 18 (as Charles Frederick Sherrin), and in January and March 1917 at age 19 (as Frederick Bircham). He served for about a year in Canada. Charles was the only son of Frederick James Sherin and Jane Wheeler of Paddington, London, England. Frederick was… Read More »

Sinclair, Benjamin Elton

Kenora’s David George Sinclair and his wife Eliza Ann Bock had four sons that served in WW1 – Leslie Foster John (born 1887), Levi Wilmot (born 1893), Roy Frederick (born 1895) and Benjamin Elton (born 1899).  The family arrived in Rat Portage (Kenora) in 1903 and settled north of town in the rural area of… Read More »

Hamel, Joseph

Joseph Hamel (Hamill) was the son of Anna Leclair/Leclerc and her first husband Thomas Pelletier. Anna and Thomas were married in 1899 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Joseph was born there on 5 July 1900, his birth registered as Joseph Anthony Stephen Pelletier. Thomas appears to have died by 1901 and Anna then married Henry Hamel…. Read More »

Williams, George Burton

According to his attestation papers George Burton Williams was born on 18 June 1886 in Fort Worth, Texas. He moved to Canada sometime after the 1911 Census and by 1914 when the war started he was living in the town of Kenora in northwestern Ontario. Trained as a marine engineer, he was a locomotive engineer… Read More »

Redsky, W

As reported in the Kenora Miner and News on 2 April 1919, the towns of Kenora and Keewatin held a large reception in the Tourist Hotel for returning veterans. On the list was W Redsky. His identity could not be confirmed but it is possible that it was either James or   Edward Redsky  

Heath, George

Private George Heath was about 50 years old when he enlisted in August 1915. He served for 15 months in Canada and England before getting discharged due to being overage and medically unfit for war service. George was born in Portland, Leeds County, Ontario, the son of Ebenezer Heath, a cooper, and Maria Shaver. Ebenezer… Read More »

Baker, Frederick John

Frederick John Baker was born on 12 April 1891 in Wheston, Derbyshire, England. His parents were Frederick George and Elizabeth Baker. He had at least two sisters – Lizzie born in 1885 and Annie born in 1888. By 1911 the family was living in Ilkeston, Derbyshire where Frederick Sr. was a veterinary surgeon and a… Read More »

Adams, Harold Craig

Harold Craig Adams was born on 7 September 1892 in Norman, Ontario, a community now amalgamated with Kenora in northwestern Ontario. His parents Alexander John Adams and Harriet Christie Farrell were both from Canada but likely married in 1883 in Minnesota, United States. Their first child, daughter Edith Electra was born in 1884 in Minnesota… Read More »

Woodley, Charles James

Gunner Charles James Woodley was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and living in California when the war started. He returned to Canada in 1918 and served for 14 months with the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery. Charles was the oldest son of Henry Richard and Matilda Woodley of Victoria, British Columbia. He was born in Winnipeg on… Read More »