Currie Avenue is named in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel David Vivian Currie, VC. It is located in Montgomery Place, an area developed in 1946 to house returning Second World War Veterans and their families. Most streets and parks in the area are named for prominent military members, famous battles, and military units.
In 2004, the Montgomery Place Community Association embarked on a project to explain the choice of names for Montgomery Place streets. The research and writing were undertaken by Kevin Gooding who was the Finance Director at the time, with help from President Jim Earle.
The signs were produced at Abe’s Sign Design Group of Saskatoon, with owner Gerry Tunicliffe giving the Association his whole-hearted support. Gerry even offered the Cassino Avenue sign free-of-charge, since his father had fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino. With interest and dedication, Gerry was also a great help to Kevin tracking down photos for the signs.
On September 22, 2007, Kevin, Jim and Vice-President Dave Price, along with Secretary Larry Rempel, Communications Director Gary Berg and resident Don Janzen, rented an auger and then dug, filled, tamped and installed the first 16 signs. Three more signs were installed later.
David Vivian Currie was born in Sutherland, Saskatchewan on 8 July 1912. Before the Second World War, he was a member of a Militia unit based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. During the campaign in France following the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944, Currie was serving with the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment).
Major Currie earned the Victoria Cross for his efforts on 18 August 1944 to capture and hold the village of St Lambert-sur-Dives during the fighting to block the escape route of large German forces cut off in the Falaise pocket. Leading a small force of tanks, infantry and anti-tank guns, but with no supporting field artillery fire, he organized an attack on the village and succeeded in seizing and consolidating a position half-way inside it. For 36 hours Currie’s force repeatedly thwarted attempts by German tanks and infantry to force a way through the village by counterattacking the Canadians. Finally, Major Currie and his men renewed their attack and drove the enemy out of St Lambert-sur-Dives, completing the capture of the village. His force had inflicted 800 casualties on the Germans and taken 2,100 prisoners.
Currie died in Ottawa, Ontario, on 24 June 1986. This street is named in his honour.
