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Aboriginal Veterans Day



Today is National Aboriginal Veterans Day in Canada. To be honest I wasn’t aware of this date I assume all those who served in the wars are remembered on November 11.  We have two male tenants at KMHC who served in the military so whenever the opportunity arises I listen to their stories. :)
My step father was in the Canadian Armed Forces he served, fought and survived WW2.  After the war he obtained a job as a bulldozer operator for an excavating company in Toronto.  I have strong memories of him as I grew up, he was a disciplinarian and tough on me yet there was a gentle side to him.  He was the typical Canadian fisherman every Friday after work he would load up his big old 1960’s Pontiac Parisienne with his fishing gear and bring (drag) me along.  I say (drag) because I didn’t always want to go.  Georgian Bay was filled with many of his favorite fishing spots, he taught me all aspects of freshwater fishing and today I miss it.  He would visit many reservations along the Georgian Bay area and he knew many Aboriginal people.  Back then Aboriginals spoke Ojibway fluently especially the elders and I couldn’t understand or speak the language.  I suppose as a kid I felt like an outsider which is why I didn’t like going to the reservation.  One time my father & I were sitting at the kitchen table I was admiring his war medals when I asked what war was like!  It was a topic that wasn’t open for discussion and I was scolded for asking.  When he was in a good mood he said many times he would like to visit the Netherlands, Belgium and France again.  Unfortunately while in my teens he died in his sleep while visiting the reservation. That was the one weekend I decided to stay at home in Toronto.  When a relative gave me the news I was devastated.  Here was a fifteen year old kid with no father and all alone, it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life filled with a lot bumps along the way.  10 years later I did go back to Pickerel Reservation for the last time to visit my father’s grave.  Standing there in silence looking at his gravestone and like old times it was just him and I.

Last week I received an invitation, on Friday November 11 Wesley Urban Ministries Multicultural group will be traveling to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.  We will be honoring those who served our country with a special indoor Remembrance Day service.  :)

Nov. 11 2016 Add on http://tinyurl.com/zekp2vd

Tk

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