by Michael Erskine
LITTLE CURRENT—Elaine Peck of Little Current is used to hauling plenty of envelopes down to the Canada Post office, but recently she found a pleasant surprise waiting in her mailbox. Ms. Peck is known to countless Canadian Armed Forces personnel across the globe. Each year she sends out hundreds (if not thousands) of Christmas cards to service men and women who are spending the holiday season far from home. Often, they will write back to say how much they appreciated the gesture—this time the thanks came with a little metal surprise and a hand-written letter from a vice-admiral.
“I’m not the only one who sends out cards,” Ms. Peck assured The Expositor when asked about the letter and medal she received. But she admitted it was nice to receive the note and medal.
The letter reads: “Dear Elaine, Thank you for taking the time to write to a Canadian solder this holiday season. I can personally attest to the impact these gestures have to our men and women serving overseas and often away from their families. Your card made me proud to serve Canada and great Canadians like you! Best wishes to you and your family for a happy, prosperous and healthy 2023.” The letter was signed Scott E. G. Bishop, Lieutenant-General, Military representative of Canada but the letterhead indicates his rank as vice-admiral with the Joint Delegation of Canada to NATO and addressed from Boulevard Leopold III, Brussels, Belgium
“I often receive letters back,” said Ms. Peck. “It sometimes makes me very emotional. They don’t tell everything they do, but some do explain some of their work.”
One letter that was very striking for Ms. Peck came from a Canadian soldier conducting mine clearance work. “He was going out to locate mines on Christmas Day,” she recalled. “They did find a couple and I thought ‘oh my God, this is how they are spending Christmas Day.’”
“I do it because I like doing it,” said Ms. Peck. She asks her family to give her blank cards for Christmas and her birthday that she can, in turn, send out to service personnel each year. “I don’t really need anything,” she said. “The cards are something I can use.”
Anyone wishing to assist Ms. Peck in her card posting campaign are invited to drop off cards to the Legion. “Or they can give me a call and I will go pick them up,” she said. She can be reached at 705-368-0522.
