Show and Tell offers glimpse into the past

Charleswood

As part of our Remembrance Day reflections, it is appropriate a pilgrimage of remembrance, made by Tom Crew, be shared with the community.

At the Community Show and Tell event at Charleswood Library on Nov. 1, co-sponsored by the Charleswood Historic Society and the library, Tom provided a vivid picture of his pilgrimage of remembrance to historic sites across Europe, where battles were fought and millions of soldiers died. At the same time, he explained how that pilgrimage led to his involvement in a project that would memorialize some of them.

A recipient of the King Charles III coronation medal for his work with the Royal Canadian Legion, Tom explained how his grandfather and father, who served in the first and second World Wars, respectively, were the driving force behind his commitment to create a memorial honouring soldiers who had died in those wars.

Following the First World War, Tom’s grandfather was instrumental in forming the British Empire Services League, which would later become the Royal Canadian Legion. Both Tom and his father were members of the Legion, and Tom said his father convinced him to make a pilgrimage of remembrance. This trip was the catalyst for the project to refurbish the deteriorating Sherman tank which was donated to the Charleswood Legion by the Fort Garry Horse regiment in 1970 and planted the seed for what was to become the Tank Memorial Wall.

Tom’s pilgrimage featured tours of battlefields and military cemeteries, including Dieppe, where close to 1,000 Canadians lost their lives; a tour of Normandy, where allied troops landed on D-Day; the French cemetery where Lt. Col. John McCrae (author of In Flanders Fields) is buried; and Vimy Ridge Memorial, as well as many more historic sites.

This emotional journey set the stage for a Tank Memorial Wall at the Charleswood Legion, which bears the names of some of those who died in wars. The project was launched in 2024 with plaques featuring 104 names of veterans whose families wished to memorialize them, and which has since expanded to an additional 75 names (only three remain for purchase). The funds raised helped to refurbish the Sherman tank.

The second speaker at Community Show and Tell was Cindi French, the daughter of a veteran. She thanked Tom Crew for his efforts in bringing the memorial to fruition and provided an historical account of the early years of Roblin Park, an abundant green space with lots of trees which became a housing development for veterans.

Established in 1946, Roblin Park was the largest of three veteran villages, consisting of 150 acres and 131 lots. Ninety-four homes were built on the land, owned by Veterans Land Act. The homes were rented to veterans for about $22 a month, and they were given 10-25 years to pay for them. Roblin Park included a community centre, which veterans built in 1948, Royal Park School and a post office. Fast forward nearly 80 years, and the area now consists of Roblin Park Community Centre, Marcy Beaucage Park, three hockey rinks and baseball diamonds, and many recreation and community activities.

For information on upcoming events, visit charleswoodhistoricalsociety.ca