November 15, 2026. On Sunday, November 8, 2026, the Annual Remembrance Service was held at Crapaud Community Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island.
Pieter was invited by Connie MacKinnon, on behalf of the village of Crapaud, to be the guest speaker again this year. (See the posting about the 2025 Remembrance Service at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembrance-week-2025-remembrance-service-at-crapaud-community-hall/)
3 of the participants at the November 8, 2026 Remembrance Service at Crapaud Hall with Joanne Harvey, Mayor of Crapaud (far left): The Rev Margaret Collins (Anglican), guest speaker Pieter Valkenburg, and The Rev Eric Lynk (United Church). (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
The service, led by Rev. Margaret Collins and Rev. Eric Lynk, included an honour guard from the Kingston Legion Branch No. 30, cadets from the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps No. 85 Summerside and No. 1231 Kensington Army Cadets Corps, and pianist Quixote Froese. Eva Sabota, student at Bluefield High School, played ‘The Last Post’ and ‘Rouse’ on her trumpet.
Honour Guard provided by Kingston Legion Branch No. 30. Left to right: Sgt At Arms Wade Campbell, Terence McGauphey, Darren Rea, Greg Gallant, Branch President Alan Crane. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
….Pieter was introduced by Reverend Eric Lynk….
Pieter was introduced by Reverend Eric Lynk….
“…To introduce our guest speaker for today, we are pleased to welcome someone who’s well known throughout this community, and throughout The Maritimes, and well beyond The Maritimes.… Mr Pieter Valkenburg.
Born in The Netherlands in 1944, Pieter Valkenburg had a most interesting and varied career. Pieter served 4 years in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Following his military service, he spent years with the diplomatic service, during which time he had postings, 2 in the US, 2 in South America, in India, several throughout Europe, and the last in Montreal. We’re so glad he decided that would be his last and that he’d stay in Canada.
Pieter began his work, which became very much a passion, searching the names of PEI members of the Canadian Forces who had been killed in action, but whose burial places had not yet been graced by their photo….”
Rev Lynk summarized several projects that Pieter has been involved in, before ending his introduction…
“…For his dedication to his efforts on behalf of others, Pieter has been duly honoured with the Veterans Affairs Commendation, the Governor General’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers, and last year, Pieter was appointed a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau for his extensive work identifying and honouring Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands. And this of course was the gift of the King of The Netherlands.
So it is that I am pleased to introduce Pieter to all of you and ask you to welcome him here….”
….Pieter’s presentation was built around 4 words…
Pieter’s presentation began by saying “…Today I’d like to talk to you about Remembrance Day …. through four words that seem to have the same meaning but are really different ways in which we remember.
These four words are Remembrance….Memory…..Recollection… and Commemoration….”
Here are a few excerpts from his presentation about the four words:
“…Remembrance is the act of keeping someone in mind or honouring them… what we do each year as we take the time to attend a Remembrance service such as today…
Memory is the ability to remember an event or a fact….
Recollection brings a past event back to mind, often with effort….” Most of us present had been born after WWII ended, and our knowledge of the past came from photos and stories. Pieter noted that he was only a year old when The Netherlands was liberated and so, of course, had no recollection of it. “…It was my parents who explained how Allied soldiers liberated us from Nazi rule, and saved us from starvation…and told us to never forget.
That brings me to Commemoration….the act of honouring a person or event….and that is what we are doing each Remembrance Day, as we honour those who served….”
Pieter then went on to explain how the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an ongoing act of commemoration, caring for 1.7 MILLION graves worldwide….
“…Commemoration….that’s such an important part of Remembrance Day, isn’t it? Anyone who visits a War Graves Cemetery managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, such as Daria and I have, sees how well the graves are cared for, with flowers and small shrubs planted in each row of graves….”
18,900 Canadian casualties from WWI and WWII are buried in Canada, 185 of them buried in Prince Edward Island in 77 cemeteries. 85 of these graves are from WWI and are in 50 cemeteries. 100 are from WWII and are in 44 cemeteries. Several cemeteries on the Island have both WWI and WWII war graves.
….Pieter briefly mentioned his role as a volunteer….
Pieter then briefly mentioned his role as a volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. “….Since 2025, as one of the volunteers across Canada who are part of the National Volunteer Program, I’m tasked with inspecting the Commonwealth graves in 4 cemeteries in the South Shore area, reporting on their condition, and cleaning where necessary. You might have seen me at one of them, wearing a green vest identifying me as a volunteer….”
Facebook posting by Elizabeth MacIntosh Hale on the CWGC Volunteers page, with photos by Daria Valkenburg
“….The 4 cemeteries I visit twice a year are:
- Cape Traverse Community Cemetery
- Tryon People’s Cemetery
- St Joseph Parish Cemetery in Kelly’s Cross
- St Peter’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Seven Mile Bay…”
….Pieter referenced the writer Rudyard Kipling in his closing remarks….
Pieter expressed how important it was to him to know what a soldier looked like when he stood at a grave. “…Whenever I stand at a grave, and have no idea what that soldier looked like, I’m reminded of the all too many graves of unidentified soldiers whose headstones simply read ‘Known Unto God’, a phrase selected by the writer Rudyard Kipling back in 1917…”
Three of the many graves of unidentified soldiers, with the phrase ‘Known Unto God’ at the bottom of the headstones, in Sanctuary Wood Sanctuary in Belgium, which we visited during our 2017 European War Memorial Tour. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
“…Kipling’s son John went missing during a battle in France in the fall of 1915….” This was the Battle of Loos.
“…Like so many families, the Kiplings never knew exactly what happened. After the war ended, Kipling would visit the battlefields of France, looking for his son, but never found him….
Ironically, it turned out that John Kipling had been buried in 1919, in a cemetery in Pas de Calais in France, as an unidentified soldier, with his father’s phrase on the headstone. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was able to verify that this was his grave.
His story is a reminder that remembrance of those who gave their lives for our continued freedom is important to keep in our memories and recollections, and that we must continue to commemorate all those who served. Thank you….”
….The service was followed by a chance to socialize….
Following his speech, Pieter was thanked by Joanne Harvey, Mayor of Crapaud. The audience was also informed that postcards provided by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission were available for anyone interested in learning more.
After the wreaths were laid, and the closing prayers were said, it was a time to chance to socialize. Among those in attendance were Olivia MacKinnon and Jack Sanders of Summerside. Olivia is a distant relation of WWII airman Vincent Sanford MACCAUSLAND of Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island, whose story will be told in the near future.
Vincent had been the bomb aimer aboard the last flight of Lancaster ED887 of RAF 617 Squadron, which was shot down and crashed near Castricum, The Netherlands on the night of May 16-17, 1943, while returning back to England after taking part in Operation Chastise….what we know more commonly as The Dambusters Raid. Olivia and Jack have been researching Vincent’s life and service, and it was a pleasure to meet them.
Pieter with Olivia MacKinnon and Jack Sanders. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
Thank you to Connie MacKinnon for inviting Pieter to speak. Thank you to Rev. Eric Lynk for his introduction at the Remembrance Service. Thank you to Wendy Nattress for her help with the audio recording of Pieter’s speech. Thank you also to Katrielle Ethier of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for sending postcards about the Commission.
The work of remembrance of those who served continues. More Remembrance Week stories to come.
If you have a story to tell, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.
© Daria Valkenburg
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4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats. Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/
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