Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mr. Atwell is a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran. He has served twice as the Commanding Officer of the Fort Garry Horse Regiment and has been responsible for leading members, including Veterans of the Second World War, back to Normandy, France, to commemorate D-Day Anniversaries in 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2004. Mr. Atwell is also the founder of the McGregor Armoury Remembrance Day Ceremony Parade, which began in Winnipeg in 2004. Internationally, he represented his regiment and nation at the unveiling of a plaque at the London Zoo in June 1999. It outlined the story of Winnie the Bear— better known as Winnie the Pooh—as the Fort Garry Regiment played a role in the origins of the famed tale. Mr. Atwell was also the primary organizer for the 95th and 100th anniversaries of the Fort Garry Horse Regiment. In 2007, he set up a family support group for the families of soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. It has since become a model for other units to follow.