The very first day the Legion reopened, a power outage affected a wide area of homes and businesses and we had to rely on the light through the windows. Poor Ken even had to make change by using a lantern! But business was still brisk for break-open and Catch the Ace tickets. This week’s Catch the Ace tickets will be limited, with fewer available than in later draws, so make sure you don’t miss out! The first draw of this round, which takes place live on Sunday at 3 p.m., will also available for viewing on Facebook (search Walkerton Legion Branch 102).
And there’s more good news – meat draws will be back starting Feb. 19 at 3 p.m.
This past weekend was not so wonderful in our Nation’s Capital. A peaceful, if noisy, protest was marred by the shameful actions of a few people. We saw swastika graffiti, flags flown upside down, and one person laughing after they danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In a press release, Bruce Julian, Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion, “Strongly condemns the shocking actions of protestors who encroached upon the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Saturday. They jumped on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and parked vehicles on the surrounding grounds. This sacred memorial site commemorates those who fought and fell for the very freedoms that allow people in Canada the right to protest peacefully. We are dismayed and saddened by this overt lack of respect.”
Alvin Wilton was just one of thousands of Canadians who gave his life for those protesters. He was born in Walkerton on March 21, 1894, son of Dan Wilton and Mary Gibson. When Alvin enlisted on Oct. 13, 1915, he was 5’7” with grey eyes and light hair, a bookkeeper, Presbyterian, and had already served nine months with the Militia, 32nd Bruce Battalion. Private Wilton was just 23 years old when he was killed in France on Jan. 5, 1917. His name is commemorated on the east side of the Vimy Memorial, along with over 11,000 Canadian soldiers with no known grave.
Lest We Forget.
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Jan Briggs-McGowan is a member of the Walkerton Legion. Her column appears here weekly.
