Twin Butte's Helen and Wilf Schrempp featured in Canada's History publication

Anita Hochstein of Glastonbury, Connecticut submitted this 1944 photo of her mother Helen Schrempp and her mother's brother Wilfred Schrempp (both of Twin Butte) in Ottawa in 1943 to the Album section of Canada's History magazine. It has been published in the Dec. 2017- Jan. 2018 issue, along with a history of the Schrempps (click here). Wilf 's son Blaine (Beanie) Schrempp lives in Pincher Creek.

From the article: 

"Mom worked for the Canadian Army, and Uncle Wilf visited her there while serving in the Army. Wilf also served in the Pacific theatre and brought home a real grass skirt from Tahiti.  After the war, Wilf ranched and taught in the Twin Butte area until he died in 1982. Mom went back to Twin Butte in 1944 to marry Dr. Francis A. Hochstein, who was also the son of homesteaders from Nebraska."

Pincher Creek Legion members commemorate 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge

Chris Davis - Royal Canadian Legion #43 Pincher Creek members held a memorial service at Cenotaph Park in Pincher Creek on April 6 in remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in northern France April 9-12, 1917, 100 years ago. Master of Ceremonies Comrade Fred White led the singing of O Canada and God Save the Queen, the moment of silence. the Act of Remembrance, and the Presentation,. Padre Reverend Dave Goff recited a prayer and the benediction and blessing. Service Officer Lorne Pulz placed a wreath at the cenotaph at the conclusion of the ceremony. Other participating Legion members included Sgt. At Arms John Baker, John Morin, Jim Litkowski, and Bill Skelly.

Pincher Creek Legion Service Officer Lorne Pulz

Matthew Halton High School students on extended field trip to Vimy and other world wars sites in Europe

Chris Davis - 36 Matthew Halton High School students from grades 10-12 embarked on what promises to be a most memorable field trip on Friday April 7. They are on a 14-day educational adventure that will begin in Vimy, France before continuing on to other European sites relevant to Canada's contributions to both world wars, including tours of the Anne Frank House and the Auschwitz concentration/extermination camp. On Sunday April 9 they will join an estimated crowd of 25,000 people at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France for an event commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. More than 12,000 Canadian students will be in attendance.

Leonard Cohen recites “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae

Remembering Major John Rupert White

Major John Rupert White

CAF 2nd Battalion/Royal 22nd Regiment/UN

Europe, Camp Petawawa, CFB Gagetown, 

Soest Germany, Korea, Kashmir

War Amps - sharing a lasting legacy

Kamryn and Shannon laying a wreath

War Amps Canada - People often can’t help but smile when they see six-year-old Kamryn Bond lay a wreath with her friend, Shannon Krasowski, 40, at their local Remembrance Day ceremony. Although an unlikely pair, they are both amputees and are part of a legacy that goes back nearly 100 years.

2015 Piikani Remembrance Day ceremony

Piikani School Dance Troupe at Remembrance Day ceremony

Chris Davis

Remembrance Day ceremonies were held at Piikani Nation School in Brocket on November 11.  The event was MC'd by Gordon Little Mustache and Lincoln Irwin and featured a Grand Entry Procession, photos of veterans, a slideshow, and speeches by Piikani Nation dignitaries and citizens who have been touched by the personal losses of war.  The opening prayer was recited by Keith Chief Moon.  Two minutes of silence was observed in honour of those lost in the wars.

Sgt. Norm Walker on the power of prayer

Sgt. Norm Walker of Pincher Creek Legion #43

"With our wills prepared, a leave pass in our hand, we were sent home to say goodbye to our loved ones, and then we were off on an adventure just like our forefathers." - Norm Walker

Chris Davis

Local veteran Sergeant  (Ret'd) Norman Walker is a frequent speaker at Legion related events in the Pincher Creek area, including Canada Day celebrations and Remembrance events.  Last week he spoke at a special Remembrance event held at the Pincher Creek Community Hall on November 5, which included presentations by students from St. Michael's and Matthew Halton schools, the highlight of which was a visit and speech by Alberta Lieutenant Governor His Honour, Colonel (Ret'd) the Honourable Donald S. Ethell.  Sgt. Walker also spoke to Livingstone School students the next day in Lundbreck.  The video below is a combination of his presentation at both events, a speech titled "Prayer".  Sgt. Walker brought the experience of three overseas missions to his theme, imbuing both events with a focus of purpose.  Sgt. Walker is quite candid about the effects of war on his own well-being.  He lives every day with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  He stripped armed conflict of its glamour while emphasizing the need for a steadfast resistance to the aggressors of the world.  His tender regard for the young people of our community was also well evident.

"Once in theatre we witnessed the devil's handiwork and man's inhumanity to man, with death and destruction of people and their lives.  We saw homeless people, before that was even a word in our vocabulary.  The refugees, the helpless orphans, the innocent men, women and children being victimized by armed thugs and corrupt governments.  The unarmed civilians suffered the most." - Norm Walker

Government of Canada to rededicate National War Memorial

National War Memorial
Government of Canada photo

Veterans Affairs Canada

The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, yesterday announced that the Government of Canada will rededicate the National War Memorial as part of the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will participate in this significant occasion.

The inscription, In Service to Canada / Au service du Canada, will be added to the Memorial to formally recognize all Canadians who served in the past, who serve today, and who will serve in the future. The Memorial will also be inscribed with the dates of the Afghanistan mission and the South African War.

Deployed troops name operating bases in honour of comrades recently killed in Canada

Government of Canada photos

Government of Canada

Canadian Armed Forces members deployed on Operation IMPACT are commemorating Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo by naming two of their locations after the members.

One of the locations of Air Task Force – Iraq (ATF-I) has been named Camp Vincent, in honour of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Warrant Officer Vincent. Likewise, the operations base of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) in Iraq is now called Patrol Base Cirillo, in honour of Corporal Cirillo, a Canadian Army Reserve soldier with The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada.

Old and young, Pincher Creek Remembers

Soldiers dream of peace - Sgt. Norman Walker at Matthew Halton School

Toni Lucas and Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

On November 6 and 7, 2013 members of Pincher Creek Legion #43 were accompanied by cadets as they made their rounds to Remembrance ceremonies in the area.  The cadets were from 2309 Fort Macleod Army Cadets and 859 Crowsnest Military Police Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, both of which include cadets from the Pincher Creek area.

Operation Jubilee: Remembering Dieppe

Photo courtesy Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Chris Davis

A dark and deadly day in Canadian history happened 69 years ago, August 19, 1942, with the second-world-war raid on well-entrenched German forces at Dieppe, France.  4,963 Canadians embarked from England for the operation, code-named "Jubilee", and only 2,210 returned.  Many of these were wounded.  Lessons learned at Dieppe were invaluable in the later D-Day offensive, which turned the tide of that terrible war.