Photo: Royal Canadian Legion Veterans, Huntsville Branch 232, and Royal Canadian Air Cadets of 844 Norseman Squadron, Huntsville, pause for a photo with the Honour Roll at its new location at the Canada Summit Centre.
Community members gathered at the Canada Summit Centre on Wednesday evening to officially welcome the presentation of the Honour Roll to the Town of Huntsville and celebrate its new home at the Canada Summit Centre.
Master of Ceremonies Jacqueline Surette said the idea was to identify a public space that would be accessible to the entire community. “This space here, the Canada Summit Centre, is an active and vibrant multi-use space. We actually have a memorial and a tribute to our veterans currently in this space, so it made sense to put the two together.”
Veteran Jim Simpson from the Royal Canadian Legion Huntsville Branch 232 asked those in attendance to observe two minutes of silence in memory of Veteran Gordon Jennings. Jennings, who died recently and would have been 99 years old, was one of the last veterans alive on the list.
“Gord in his earlier years was active in the legion and the town. His family are with us tonight, we offer them our deepest condolences. He will be sorely missed by many,” said Simpson.
Simpson talked about the history of the Honour Roll and said that in 1943, Joseph T Greaves, President of the Huntsville Canadian Legion, Branch 232, of the British Empire Service League, petitioned the Town council to honour the men and women of Huntsville who volunteered to serve in the Second World War.
“Mr. Greaves personally travelled to Ottawa to plead for preparation of arrangements for repatriation of returning veterans.
“In November 1943, Councillors Appleyard, Clark, and Munroe were appointed as a committee of council in co-operation with the Rotary Club and the Canadian Legion to prepare an Honour Roll for Huntsville. The Roll was received from Ottawa and consisted of the 400 men and women who enlisted in the armed services from Huntsville. That was approximately 15 per cent of the population at the time, which was 2,700 residents based on the most recent Census data.”
Simpson, who thanked Collection Coordinator for the Town of Huntsville, Sarah White, for helping attain the history, said that in May 1945, Alf Harper was commissioned to build a display case to hold the Honour Roll. “When completed the display case had space for 500 names and was hung in the post office in November 1947 which at the time was in the Town Hall. It was moved in 1955 to the new Post Office on the corner of Main Street and Centre Street.”
The Post Office closed the Centre Street entrance in 2021, which housed the Honour Roll. That meant it was no l longer accessible to the public. The Huntsville Legion approached the Post Office and asked that it be placed in the custody of the Legion, Branch 232. The Post Office was happy to transfer the ownership of the Honour Roll to the Legion who in turn transferred it to the Town on May 29, 2024 with the condition that it be placed somewhere where it could be enjoyed by all.
Residents and visitors alike can now find the Honour Roll on the main floor of the Canada Summit Centre. “Many of the names on the Roll are reflected in street names and parks throughout the town,” noted Simpson. “Some of these families still reside in our town to this day.”
Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock said she could not think of a more fitting place for the Honour Roll and spoke of her own family who served. “Huntsville’s contribution to the Second World War was enormous. Fifteen per cent of the population is represented by those men and women who enlisted from Huntsville. That’s extraordinary, and this Honour Roll will remind us of that, will remind us of this contribution… we will never forget, and we will always honour those who served.”
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World War Two Honour Roll to be displayed at Canada Summit Centre
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I wondered where this was. My uncle’s on that list. Happy to see it’s on display again.
It is so good to see the honour roll displayed in an area where all can see the men and women of Huntsville who served their country in our darkest days. I am proud of the work that the Legion has done to get this plaque displayed in such a prominent place. Lest we forget!
Ross Pease WO (ret’d)