KAGAWONG—The 2nd Battalion Irish Regiment from Sudbury will once again stand as honour guard during the Billings Remembrance Day observances.
348 Manitoulin Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Cadet Miranda MacKay will be making a slideshow presentation of the trip made by the Manitoulin Cadets Corps to Vimy Ridge this year and many of the cadets will be in attendance. Attendees to this event will be invited to visit the Old Mill Heritage Centre in Kagawong following the service where a one day only exhibit will on display.
“Old Mill Heritage Centre will be open November 11 from noon until 4 pm,” said Old Mill Heritage Centre Curator Rick Nelson. “We will be showcasing a number of new exhibits for this “one day only” exhibition. Featured will be a treasure trove of personal effects of Audrey Chester Coultis, grandfather of Manitoulin OPP officer Bonnie Coultis. Mr. Coultis was a member of the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War.”
Mr. Nelson explained that, following her grandfather’s death, Ms. Coultis had discovered a chest in her grandfather’s attic that contained a treasure trove of military memorabilia, including photos, letters, newspapers, uniforms, hats, ammunition and a piece of decking of a German U-boat.
“This chest and its contents are on display for one day only at the museum,” said Mr. Nelson. “Also at the museum on November 11 is a World War 1 exhibit on former Gore Bay resident, John Norman Orford, who served in the 119th Battalion that was made up young men from the Manitoulin-Algoma area. Among his medals, documents and oval-shaped portrait is a personal handwritten letter from King George V addressed to him.”
Mr. Nelson noted that the exhibit space now set up inside the museum allows for a multimedia exhibition honouring many local veterans in a way that has not been seen before.
“This will be the last event of the season for the museum,” said Mr. Nelson. “It is a tradition for us each year that provides a fitting tribute to the Island’s veterans on Remembrance Day.”
