Ontario

THe Hall of Remembrance is a memorial to earlier generations of Canadians, particularly Perth residents, who fought and died in the wars of the 20th century. The artifacts of the small local war museum have been reorganized and displayed better, and the Legion held a re-dedication and dinner Saturday, May 15, 2017. The memorabilia commemorates the major conflicts of the 20th century in which Canada played a role. The collection, which fills six rooms, are made up of artifacts donated by local veterans and their families, ranging from medals, letters, and photographs, to military souvenirs captured from enemy troops.

There is a display devoted to the story of Flying Officer William J. Kyle, who went missing in action at the age of 22 while flying a Dakota aircraft on a Second World War mission in Burma. It includes Kyle’s watch, recovered from the wreck, and a letter mailed by Kyle to his mother on June 2, 1945, very shortly before the plane crash.

Another display commemorates the contributions of Judge John Matheson, an artillery officer in the Second World War, and his uniform, photograph and other memorabilia are displayed. Years after the war, Matheson served on the committee assigned to choose the new Canadian flag. A copy of his book, Canada’s Flag, is part of the display.

There are walls of photographs of local veterans. If the serviceman in the picture died in action, the picture bears a poppy. One prominent individual among the photographs is Major Alex R. Campbell of the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment who was Killed in action in Italy on Dec. 25, 1943.

One display has the original wooden cross from the gravesite of Corporal Farquar Caldwell Fraser, killed in action in the First World War at the age of 23 and buried at Pas de Calais, France, May 19, 1917. The cross was returned to Canada after the Commonwealth Military Cemetery was refurbished

The three post Great War military themed stained glass windows were repaired and reinstalled in 2016 by Steve Boyd. The windows were originally installed in the Carleton Place Hall of Valour before being moved to the Hall of Remembrance in Perth.

Cockburn Street is named in honour of Lieutenant Colonel (later General Sir) Francis Cockburn.

Francis Cockburn was born in 1780 in England and joined the British Army at the age of 19. He served in South America and the Iberian Peninsula before arriving in Canada in 1811. He led numerous successful raids against the American forces during the War of 1812.

By 1818, as a Lieutenant-Colonel serving in Quebec City, he was made responsible for the military settlements in Upper Canada, including Perth. He took on a great personal interest in the military settlements and the potential prosperity of the district. He returned to England in 1823, but continued to be involved in Canadian matters, providing reports and advice to a British parliamentary committee looking at assisted emigration. Cockburn recommended strong government support of emigration, including an 18-month supply of provisions for settlers. He suggested settlement in the Gaspé and Ottawa regions and between lakes Simcoe and Huron, as well as along a line of communication between New Brunswick and Lower Canada.

In 1829 Cockburn was ordered to British Honduras, where from 1830 to 1837, he was superintendent of the colony. From 1837 to 1844 he served as governor and commander-in-chief of the Bahamas; he was knighted in 1841, made Major-General in 1846, Lieutenant-General in 1854 and General in 1860. He died in 1868.

Named in November 2008, Paine Avenue honours the memory of Sergeant Frederick Richard Paine, Royal Canadian Artillery.

Frederick Richard Paine joined the military as a gunner soon after the start of the Second World War and was assigned to the 4th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, supporting the 2^nd Infantry Division. This Division spearheaded the attack on Dieppe in August 1942. Having lost close to half its strength during this battle, the 2^nd Infantry Division focused on rebuilding its ranks and by D-Day had been identified as the reserve division for the Canadian sector. The Division then went on to serve in the Normandy campaign including the Battle of the Scheldt. By 2 May 1945, the Division was in Oldenburg with a ceasefire declared on 5 May. By December 1945, the entirety of the Division had been stood down and returned to Canada.

After the war, Frederick Paine entered the real estate business and was responsible for many of Ottawa’s major real estate developments. In the 1970’s, Mr. Paine went to work for the Public Service and eventually worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Rideau Veterans Home. Frederick Richard Paine passed away peacefully in Ottawa in his 84th year on 4 September 2003.

The Victory tree program honours local dead from wars of the 20th century. The first maple tree was planted on Canada Day 2011 to remember Private James Herbert McKittrick, a Seaforth Highlander killed in action Dec 7, 1943.

The Great War Memorial is used for Remembrance Day ceremonies. It is dedicated to First World War, Second World War, Korean War and Peacekeeping Veterans. 

Colonel By Island is named in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel John By, Royal Engineers. The island was named on July 27, 1983 by the Government of Ontario.

John By was born in Lambeth (London) England in 1779 and graduated from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1799. He joined the Royal Engineers on December 20 of the same year and in 1802 was posted to Canada for the first time, where he worked on the fortification of Quebec City and on the construction of a canal at Iles aux Cascades.

During the Napoleonic wars he returned to Europe, where he served in Spain under the Duke of Wellington from 1811 until 1815. In 1826, he returned to Canada to supervise the construction of the Rideau Canal. His first task was the construction of a town to house the men who were to work on the canal. The resulting settlement, called Bytown, would later be named Ottawa. The 200 km canal was completed in 6 years, and was acclaimed as an engineering triumph.

Colonel By was recalled to London to face accusations that he had made a number of unauthorized expenditures. The charges were spurious and a parliamentary committee exonerated him. He died in 1836 and is buried in the village of Frant in East Sussex, southeast of England.

In early 2011, Stuart Hodge set out to create a cenotaph to be located in Carp, with the Carp Business Improvement Area receiving funding through the Community War Memorial Program. The West Carleton War Memorial is a black granite structure with a bronze sculpture of a sitting soldier taking a few quiet moments to read (and re-read) a letter from home amid the chaos and rubble of war. The sculpture was made by Ron Cowle, and the memorial was designed by Vanderberg and Wilderboer architects. 

The original tablet listed 20 names from the First World War, with first names instead of initials. Two First World War names on the original tablet are not on the current one. The current tablet lists 35 names from the First World War. The pavers on the plaza spell “let us remember” and “nous nous souvenons” in Morse code.

On 28 May 2016, the Carleton Masonic Lodge No. 465 laid the cornerstone for the new West Carleton War Memorial, an ancient ceremony that goes back to the middle ages. Most Worshipful Brother Donald H. Mumby, Past Grand Master Grand Lodge of Canada in Ontario, led the ceremony with the laying of ancient tools; the square, the level and the Plumb rule to ensure the stone was set true. More than 60 Masons were on hand from the following communities: Carleton, Kanata, Orleans, Smiths Falls, Ottawa, Arnprior and Aylmer.

Mumby was then presented with corn, oil and red wine to pour at the base of the stone. The corn represented an emblem of plenty, the wine was an emblem of joy and the oil an emblem of comfort and consolation. He tapped the stone with a mallet cut from an oak beam that was nearly 300 years old as he proclaimed the stone to be dedicated to the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe and in thankful memory of all those who served. 

This memorial consists of three elements: a tapestry and dedication plaque, a small outdoor garden and dedication plaque, and cemetery gates and dedication plaque. This memorial is dedicated to Colonel Merle Moulton, erected by family and friends.

This memorial is dedicated to the members of St Mary’s Anglican Church who served in the Second World War.

The St Mary’s Anglican Church First World War Roll of Honour and the Sergeant Charles Hamnett Pinhey Memorial Plaque are also located here.