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Author Topic: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event  (Read 638 times)

Offline Anml_341

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WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« on: November 03, 2011, 11:34:50 AM »
Hello from Ontario.  You might be interested to know that the Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, has approved a new historic event in recognition of the WW-11 Veterans Guard of Canada and the German PoWs.  The event titled:  "The Detention of Second World War Military Prisoners of War and of Enemy Aliens Sent to Canada from Great Britain" was approve on July 21, 2011.  The official announcement is pending the wishes of the minister.  As yet the location for the historic event plaque and date of the unveiling cermony is still pending along with the specific wording of the plaque.

Anyone wishing additional information may contact me at my email address:  frankspence@eastlink.ca
« Last Edit: November 06, 2011, 08:55:16 PM by Mehar »
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Offline Anml_341

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Re: Re: Prisoner of War Camps in Alberta, Canada
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2011, 08:02:53 PM »
During WW-II Canada hosted thousands of German PoWs.  In addition to the 29 so called permanent camps there were hundreds of bush camps.  The Veterans Guard of Canada was responsible for guarding the PoWs and strategic locations. 

The event is being titled:  The Detention of Second World War Military Prisoners of War and of Enemy Aliens Sent to Canada from Great Britain  The historic designation plaque location is pending a decision by the Goverment of Canada and should be know hopefully sometime in 2012. 

Anyone wishing additional information please contact the writer.  Thank you.

Frank
« Last Edit: November 05, 2011, 07:10:27 AM by Anml_341 »
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Offline Mehar

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Re: Re: Prisoner of War Camps in Alberta, Canada
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2011, 10:06:23 PM »
Quote from: Anml_341 on November 03, 2011, 11:34:50 AM
Hello from Ontario.  You might be interested to know that the Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, has approved a new historic event in recognition of the WW-11 Veterans Guard of Canada and the German PoWs.  The event titled:  "The Detention of Second World War Military Prisoners of War and of Enemy Aliens Sent to Canada from Great Britain" was approve on July 21, 2011.  The official announcement is pending the wishes of the minister.  As yet the location for the historic event plaque and date of the unveiling cermony is still pending along with the specific wording of the plaque.

Anyone wishing additional information may contact me at my email address:  frankspence@eastlink.ca

That's excellent news, I certainly look forward to seeing how this develops, thank you very much for posting.
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Offline Anml_341

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Re: Re: Prisoner of War Camps in Alberta, Canada
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2011, 06:33:14 AM »
Thank you for the reply.  I believe it might be more appropiate to post general information on the "WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event" thread in this forum rather than in any one province.

Frank
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Offline Mehar

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2011, 08:55:44 PM »
Fair point, I've merged the topics into this thread.
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Offline Tesway

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2011, 10:40:49 AM »
From St Catharines, Ontario
I was raised at Dorion, Ontario — 45 miles north of Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, and about 30 miles south of Nipigon. Dad was manager of the government trout rearing station there.
During the war, the propaganda was that the Germans, Italians, etc were the enemy and not very nice people. My Dad wanted to demonstrate that people everywhere were not that different ... it was just certain elements of a society that were the tyrants and criminals.
He took me to a POW bush camp just south of Nipigon at RED ROCK where the security was very light. The prisoners were only slightly older than myself at 13 or 14, and very nice. They were paid a small amount for cutting pulpwood and my understanding was that there was no way they wanted to escape and go back to the war.
There isn't much I can tell you — it was a long time ago — but will pass on to anyone interested what I can remember.
Wayne
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Offline Mehar

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2011, 12:47:13 PM »
Quote from: Tesway on November 10, 2011, 10:40:49 AM
From St Catharines, Ontario
I was raised at Dorion, Ontario — 45 miles north of Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, and about 30 miles south of Nipigon. Dad was manager of the government trout rearing station there.
During the war, the propaganda was that the Germans, Italians, etc were the enemy and not very nice people. My Dad wanted to demonstrate that people everywhere were not that different ... it was just certain elements of a society that were the tyrants and criminals.
He took me to a POW bush camp just south of Nipigon at RED ROCK where the security was very light. The prisoners were only slightly older than myself at 13 or 14, and very nice. They were paid a small amount for cutting pulpwood and my understanding was that there was no way they wanted to escape and go back to the war.
There isn't much I can tell you — it was a long time ago — but will pass on to anyone interested what I can remember.
Wayne

Hi Wayne,
 
Welcome to the forums and thanks for sharing. Anything you can share would be great and very appreciated by myself and I'm sure others who browse the forum as well.
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Offline Anml_341

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2012, 10:46:28 AM »
This information may be of interest to some people regarding a website at the Sault Ste Marie Ontario public library:

Copy of Email received:
Hi Frank, We had a few email exchanges back a while ago... I saw a reference to PsOW with one of your comments so I figured I'd send you some information...which you may have already.

Abitibi employed a lot of people in the bush across the north including PsOW as you know ... I discovered that the Sault Ste Marie public library has all their old records, they employed some summer help to scan and record a lot of the documents on this site here ... http://forestry.ssmpl.ca/Search.aspx, I found by entering "prisoners of war" ...http://forestry.ssmpl.ca/SearchResults.aspx?s_keyword=prisoners+of+war...click on the Doc Ref No 9630 for instance, then scroll to the bottom where you'll find the old document, click underneath it to enlarge...then click right on the document itself to enlarge for reading.
You'll find WW2 Landing Barges they bought complete with photos by entering the keyword "Landing Barges"...http://forestry.ssmpl.ca/SearchResults.aspx?s_keyword=landing+barges and here's what they looked like, see in this link....http://forestry.ssmpl.ca/library/FDP-Scan_Files/W-6%20Box%201%20of%203/2549-001.jpg?Hist_ForestryDB2Dir=Asc&Hist_ForestryDB_tbl_CompaDir=Asc&Hist_ForestryDBDir=Asc&Hist_ForestryDB1Dir=Asc&Hist_ForestryDBPage=2&Grid1Dir=Asc&Doc_Ref_ID=2549&s_keyword=landing+barges
There were a few WW II landing barges purchased by Abitibi, I think called the 'Awenge', 'White Lake', Esnagi...
In any regard you can experiment with various keywords such as names of lakes, rivers, camp numbers, jammers, names of people who subcontracted or were supervisors.
Tom B
« Last Edit: January 10, 2012, 10:48:01 AM by Anml_341 »
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Offline Mehar

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2012, 10:25:41 AM »
Interesting, thanks for posting, I'll have to take a better look at the archive later on but with a few quick searches I'm already finding some great stuff.
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Offline Anml_341

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2012, 12:00:20 PM »
Status regarding the Historic Event designation:  We have not been made aware of any decisions as yet about the historic plaque or plaques location, plaque wording or unveiling date.  We do understand that the Board that makes the recommendations did meet in December but its proceedings are confidential until such time as the Federal Minister (Canada) has reviewed and authorized the release of the information.  I will keep you update when anything new known.

Frank
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Offline Mehar

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2012, 10:10:33 AM »
Thanks for the updates Frank!

It seems like we will likely find out as we get closer to the summer months, an unveiling that occurs then will likely benefit the most amount of people as far as travel goes.
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Offline Anml_341

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2012, 12:33:28 PM »
Hi and I wish that what you say was actually going to happen.  I have exchanged emails with the HSMBC with the following results:

January 16, 2012:  I wrote to the HSMBC asking for an status update.
January 19, 2012:  receive a reply that indicated four things:
That the HSMBC did discuss the location of the plaque.
That the secretariat is putting together a briefing paper for the minister to consider,
It appears that I can anticipate at a minimum another 18 month delay.
That everything could take longer depending on the resources available.  (Current rumour is that budgets are being trimmed by 5 – 10% in the forth coming Canadian Federal Budget.

We will just have to wait and see what develops...

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Offline Mehar

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2012, 12:28:15 PM »
Ouch, so it's safe to say we can pretty much rule out 2012 then? It seems the board will be meeting again in July of this year,

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/clmhc-hsmbc/quoi-what.aspx
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Offline Anml_341

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2012, 12:42:23 PM »
My guess is that unless something dramatic happens, you are more than likely right. 

The board also meets in December.

I have now found four former German PoWs who are still alive.  Three in Ontario and one in BC.  I have either talked with or emailed all four during the past 24 hours.  All are in their mid 90's. 
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Offline Mehar

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Re: WW-II Canadian PoW Camps to be Historic Event
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2012, 10:39:34 AM »
Hi Frank,

Ideally this matter will be discussed at the earliest possible meeting, especially if those with a living memory or connection to the camps/period in time wish to see it happen. I do wonder if there is anything communities such as this can do to help.

It would be interesting to get the take of the former POW's on this matter.
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