Roots & Remembrance is a project that commemorates the young men of Montreal West who lived among us and died for us. Since its inception in 2014, posters and banners of 42 World War II veterans have been placed throughout the Town indicating where the men lived, studied, and worshipped. This allows us to better understand how little of our Town was left unaffected by the happenings across the Atlantic Ocean. With the creation of a walking tour map, we hope to provide a deeper glimpse into the lives of these individuals and the roles they played in a greater conflict. There were few battles where Canadians, and Montreal Westers, did not play a part; it is the sacrifice of these men that we commemorate each Remembrance Day and keep in our hearts every other day of the year.
A Walk to Remember in the News:
Morin, Rose-Aimée Automne T. “Nos voisins les anciens combattants.” La Presse, November 7, 2024.
Muschi, Christinne. “Putting Faces and Stories to Cenotaph Names in Montreal West.” The Globe and Mail, November 11, 2022.
All historical and biographical information was provided by Dr. Robert Drummond, who is currently writing a book on the subject; the biographies were written by the GIS team of Montreal West Public Works.
NOTE: The numbering system featured in the map is based on the geographic location of stops; it does not provide a particular suggested route.
Donald Brain
Major, Army
1919-1943 (24 years old)
Thomas Reginald Brain
Lance Corporal, Army
1921-1945 (25 years old)
Richard Walter Vokey
Flying Officer, Air Force
1923-1944 (21 years old)
Donald Wallace Clarke
Pilot Officer, Air
1919-1944 (24 years old)
Edward Anderson Paterson
Flying Officer, Air Force
1923-1945 (22 years old)
Forrest Walker Wiggins
Captain, Army
1912-1941 (28 years old)
Donald Frederick Wilson
Pilot Officer, Air Force
1921-1944 (23 years old)
Hugh Cameron Fulton
Lieutenant, Navy
1923-1944 (21 years old)
Clarence Dexter Schnebly
First Lieutenant, Air Force
1912-1943 (31 years old)
Gordon William Wright
Electrical Sub-Lieutenant, Navy
1920-1944 (23 years old)
Wilfred Bark
Sub-Lieutenant, Navy
1922-1943 (20 years old)
William Frank Tudhope
Pilot Officer, Air
1919-1940 (21 years old)
Thomas Johnstone
Pilot Officer, Air Force
1922-1943 (21 years old)
William George Roddy
Flight Sergeant, Air Force
1920-1942 (22 years old)
Robert Warren Conway
Flying Officer, Air Force
1917-1943 (26 years old)
Francis Bernard Croke
Flight Sergeant, Air Force
1919-1932 (23 years old)
Hugh Stanley Brydges
Captain, Army
1914-1944 (30 years old)
Thomas Melville Pethick
Flying Officer, Air Force
1922-1943 (21 years old)
Charles Peter Rodger Stevens
Lieutenant, Navy
1922-1945 (23 years old)
Philip Spalding Mainguy
Ordinary Seaman, Navy
1921-1944 (23 years old)
Charles William Cyril Crowdy
Flying Officer, Air Force
1922-1944 (21 years old)
Harry Cameron Beattie
Sergeant, Air Force
1920-1942 (22 years old)
Peter Yeates Williams
Flying Officer, Air Force
1921-1943 (22 years old)
Thomas James Muir
Flying Officer, Air Force
1921-1943 (22 years old)
Jack Dennison Johnston
Flying Officer, Air Force
1914-1945 (30 years old)
Louis Macadam Duff
Leading Aircraftman, Air
1917-1944 (27 years old)
Henry Calvin Chambers Read
Flying Officer, Air Force
1919-1944 (24 years old)
Richard Arthur Laing
Pilot Officer, Air
1916-1942 (25 years old)
Lloyd George Higginson
Pilot Officer, Air
1917-1942 (25 years old)
John Roy Freeland
Pilot Officer, Air Force
1918-1941 (23 years old)
Donald Clifford Bissell
Flying Officer, Air Force
1913-1944 (30 years old)
Gordon Stanley Kimber
Flying Officer, Air Force
1922-1944 (22 years old)
Seward Terry Modeland
Flight Sergeant, Air Force
1921-1941 (19 years old)
Jesse Augustus Baldwin
Flying Officer, Air Force
1911-1941 (29 years old)
Owen Munro Wovenden Clarson
Flying Officer, Air Force
1922-1945 (22 years old)
Frederick Arthur Horning
Flying Officer, Air Force
1921-1944 (23 years old)
David Sinclair Jacobs
Wing Commander, Air Force
1915-1944 (29 years old)
Robert John Stansbury
Private, Army
1922-1944 (22 years old)
Robert Oliver Armstrong
Leading Telegraphist, Navy
1913-1944 (31 years old)
Robert Alexander Bryant
Private, Army
1919-1942 (23 years old)
Hubert Oberlin Lough
Captain, Army
1902-1943 (41 years old)
George Henry Herbert Marks
Warrant Officer Class II, Air Force
1912-1943 (29 years old)
The Town of Montreal West Commemorative Tree and Bench Program is a wonderful opportunity for the public to celebrate a person or occasion by purchasing a tree or bench for installation in a public park. Friends and families can create a dedication or memorial. Each dedication carries a different story through the words engraved on the plaque. These lovely dedications with their plaques serve as a lasting reminder or a timeless gift to a loved one.
The dedications are an attractive and useful addition to our recreational areas and are much appreciated by the many citizens who visit and use Town parks every day.
Commemorative gifts can be donated for life events such as marriages, births, deaths, graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, retirements, or special events. Whatever the occasion, the legacy is yours to give.
The program contributes in a very special way to the greening and beautification of our city and increases park amenities. It is coordinated by the Recreation Department and maintained by the Public Works Department. Donations to the Commemorative Tree and Bench program are tax deductible.
This program is a full-cost recovery initiative. Your donations help beautify and green Montreal West municipal parks as well as celebrate a life event. Each commemorative tree is $250.00 which includes the supply of the tree and its installation and maintenance. An associated plaque can be purchased for $100.00. Each commemorative bench is $1900.00 which includes the plaque and installation.
Your tree or bench will serve as a legacy for generations to come!
Currie, the first native born Canadian to lead a Canadian Corps in the First World War, unveiled the monument on October 21, 1921. The bronze statue of a Canadian soldier on a granite pedestal was sculpted by Geo. W. Hill. It is dedicated to the men and women who gave their life during the First and Second World Wars.