St. Catharines, Ontario
Mr. Bowman is a retired Warrant Officer who served in the Merchant Navy, 25 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and 18 years with the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services. He is an active member of the Southwestern Ontario (Courtland) Chapter of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping (CAVUNP). He is the founding president of the Niagara Chapter and is currently the Central Ontario Provincial Director of CAVUNP. Mr. Bowman was the primary organizer of the 2009 Peacekeepers’ Day parade and Dedication Ceremony at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton. During this ceremony the restored ill-fated CC-115461 Buffalo aircraft was dedicated to the nine Canadians killed on August 9, 1974 which is the largest single loss of life in peacekeeping history and was the inspiration for Bill C-287, An Act Respecting a National Peacekeepers’ Day. This ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries including the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, close to 300 military Veterans as well as police officers and others who marched on parade. Mr. Bowman organized the 2012 Biennial Association General Meeting of CAVUNP which was held in Hamilton. In addition to his extensive and ongoing work with CAVUNP, Mr. Bowman belongs to numerous other organizations, including The Royal Canadian Legion, the Canadian Corps, the Royal Niagara Military Institution, and The Royal Canadian Air Force Museum in Trenton. He is a lifetime member of the RC Sigs Club in Kingston and the Moore Sovereign Consistory in Hamilton. Mr. Bowman is the Past Master of St. Georges Lodge No 15, AF&AM, St. Catharines and a member of the Mount Mariah Chapter of Royal Arch Masons.