August 17, 2022. When Brenda Boudreau of the Victoria Historical Society invited us to participate in the Our Island Talks lecture series, we of course said yes.  That was back in the winter and August seemed such as long time away.  Time flew by quickly and before we knew it, the date appeared.

We didn’t know what to expect as so many people had attended previous presentations or had followed the stories over the years on this blog or in the County Line Courier newspaper.

So we were delighted to see many familiar faces in the audience and to meet new people in what turned out to be a successful and enjoyable experience. 

….CBC Radio Interview….

Matt Rainnie interviewed me for CBC PEI’s Mainstreet PEI program about the Author Talk at the Victoria Playhouse on August 11, 2022, part of the Our Island Talks Series. The interview about the book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ aired August 5, 2022.  See https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-130-mainstreet-pei/clip/15929265-daria-valkenburgs-book

…The Author Talk allowed us to meet and greet…

Here are photos of a few of the attendees.  We didn’t have a chance to catch everyone, unfortunately, but we would have liked to!

Brenda Boudreau, Past President of the Victoria Historical Society, has had two relatives featured on the blog – her great-uncle, WWI soldier Heath Ward MACQUARRIE (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/21/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-fisherman-who-lost-his-life-in-france-while-a-ww1-soldier/) and her father, Robert ‘Scott’ MACQUARRIE (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/12/06/the-ww2-christmas-menu/).

The story of Sandra Bourque’s relative, WWII soldier Barney Reuben MCGUIGAN, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, was previously told on this blog.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/12/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-photo-search-for-barney-mcguigan-is-successful/)

George Dalton had bought a book for himself and one to present to a sculptor restoring a WW1 memorial in Summerside. Some of the soldiers listed on the memorial have their stories told in the book. (See https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-summerside-ww1-sculpture-restoration-1.6543838)

Mario Henry was recently featured as the veteran who rescued the photo of WWI soldier Lloyd Clifford SHORTLIFF of Nova Scotia.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/07/31/the-ww1-soldier-from-barton-whose-body-was-never-recovered/)

We had not previously met Betty Jeffery, whose relative, WWI soldier Joseph Arthur DESROCHES, is buried at Ligny Saint-Flochel British Cemetery in France. We’d visited his grave in 2017 and his story is told in the book.  Up to now, however, no one has been able to find a photo of him. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/11/15/the-continuing-search-for-a-photo-of-ww1-soldier-joseph-arthur-desroches/)

Duane MacEwen, Past President of PEI Command, Royal Canadian Legion, and his wife Ann, were featured in a story about the luncheon hosted for Korean War Veterans in 2021. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/09/24/pei-korean-war-veterans-luncheon-hosted-by-the-embassy-of-the-republic-of-korea/) 

Duane was also part of the delegation present when the Dutch embassy presented Her Honour The Honourable Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, with a box of tulips at a special event at Province House in 2019. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/09/17/liberation-75-commemoration-event-at-province-house/)

Thank you to Brenda Boudreau of the Victoria Historical Society, and to Emily and Pat Smith of the Victoria Playhouse for inviting us to participate in the Our Island Talks series, and for looking after the publicity and logistics.  Thank you to Matt Rainnie for taking the time to do an interview.  Pieter and I also thank all who attended the Author Talk and to those who supported our research by purchasing a book.

If you have a story to share, please let Pieter know. You can mail him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

…Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/ or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog. 

Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw. 

© Daria Valkenburg