PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 26

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 28, 2018***

Remain Fire Smart even in Fall

It was a hot, dry summer in the local region and thankfully the RMs and RMNP did not have to contend with any major blazes. But just because the evenings are cooler and there has been a bit of fall moisture does not mean that area residents can let their guard down.

John Braschuk, Erickson’s Fire Chief and RMNP’s Fire Management Officer, Reade Tereck explained how their organizations prevent and respond to fire incidents.

RMNP and the surrounding area got tinder dry this summer and seemed primed for another fire event like the 1980 fire that swept through the Park. What have the fire agencies done to mitigate damaging fires?
John Braschuk: We have said this for years, it could happen again. But with controlled burns and some smaller fires in past years and now some fire guard management around the area and within the Park does help.
Reade Tereck: The Park practices Landscape Level Management using prescribed burns in areas designated for rejuvenation. Where parts of the Park have matured to 30 years or more, and after taking proper precautions, our staff will conduct a burn like the one earlier this spring close to Lake Audy.

How can the average person be ‘Fire Smart’ and how do fire departments prepare for larger incidents?
John Braschuk: There are so many ways for fire to start and we can only do so much prevention. We need support and cooperation of all area residences to be fire smart. That being said, obey fire bans please. That’s bonfires also and that includes all cottage areas when the ban is on. Also keep wood piles far away and eavestroughs clean of debris. Consider in high hazard areas a tin roof for your next roof replacement and keep trees away from your home if at all possible. In Onanole, Sean Frey is our go-to guy for the ‘Fire Smart Program’ and he has done some videos for the area on Youtube and has received training a couple years ago. We also cooperatively place fire bans with other jurisdictions. There can be fire hazards or accidents from farming machinery or construction equipment catching fire and lightning strikes are very common. Of course, careless humans light bonfires when fire bans are on and quads can cause fires. The risk is always a possibility and we depend on all agencies when it does happen from near and far.
Reade Tereck: The Park only had to deal with 4 minor fires so far this season. But if conditions created a larger event, we were ready. We regularly conduct table top exercises and mutual training with the various agencies.

How do the various fire departments respond when there is a major fire?
John Braschuk: We experienced this during the spring of 2017 in the Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson. Along the Park line, we had a major wildland fire that also went into RMNP. We all worked together and we had 6 fire departments including Parks Canada and the Office of the Fire Commissioner and a water bomber on standby if it was required within the first 1-2 hours. Manitoba has a great system and support group. With Mutual aid and working with Parks Canada and their fire crew, we are very well prepared and equipped. But as with any incident, we could be limited for resources as a hot, dry day can produce multiple fires. Resources throughout the whole province this spring were out in full force. For example, out of 9 local departments only 1-2 departments were left to respond to any incident in the whole district. That is an area from Oak River to Rivers, north to Sandy Lake and Minnedosa to RMNP South boundary.
Reade Tereck: Local area fire departments and Parks Canada use the concept of Unified Command when a major fire involves several jurisdictions. The role of incident commander is shared by two or more individuals and we have found that it works well when numerous stations are involved.

Most of the country’s attention and resources were focused on the BC forest fires. If a significant fire started in the area, are there enough resources such as heavy equipment and water bombers available to deal with it?
John Braschuck: We do have equipment from all fire departments and Parks Canada fire crew and we rely on heavy equipment such as caterpillars, loaders and track hoes from our local contractors and expand farther out of our area as necessary.

How long would it take to bring these resources to bear?
John Braschuck: With the resources and preparation all agencies do, we can deploy backup immediately and heavy equipment if needed within hours. We do this on a regular basis and have very good results with local contractors responding to our heavy equipment needs. They know they may be needed and have given fire departments priority for years and we are very thankful.

Where would the fire fighters/water bombers get their water from?
John Braschuck: In our RM, Otter Lake is our go-to lake if needed.
Reade Tereck: If there is a need for water bombing, a Bird Dog plane determines the best lake for the bombers to scoop from. Otter Lake runs east-west so it would not be suitable if there were strong north or south crosswinds and they might have to utilize Clear Lake instead.

How does the RM or Park determine if there will be a fire ban and when does fire season end?
John Braschuck: Weather is very unpredictable. A good rain can help but a few days of hot dry winds can return us to an extreme hazard very quickly in the spring or fall seasons.
Reade Tereck: The Park Fire Management team monitors the weather and uses fire indices to determine the fire risk and levels of restrictions which may include closing down the back country in extreme circumstances. Fire season used to run from April 1^st to November 1^st but there has been an increase in the length of that period and we are seeing more of a Fall fire risk. We do not let our guard down until the first major snowfall.

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October 26, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 25: Part 2

A full crowd of 250 people lined up early for their chance at the Legion’s Chase The Ace

***Originals published in South Mountain Press & Neepawa Banner, September 21, 2018***

Kelwood Legion’s ‘Chase The Ace’ Pot Won

The village of Kelwood has been gripped with ‘Chase the Ace’ fever that finally broke on September 15 when Kelwood Legion #50 President Larry Henton was able to hand over a winning check. Roxanne Lesanko of Dauphin was the lucky recipient of $34,297.

Legion President Larry Henton presenting the winning check

When the Legion started their first ever ‘Chase the Ace’ just over a year ago with $100 up for grabs, no one in their wildest dreams imagined that it would come down to the final card in the deck or that the progressive lottery was going to grow so large.

Funds raised will be shared between the Legion, the Kelwood Playground Committee, the Kelwood Skating Rink Committee, and the Riding Mountain Hall Committee. It was all hands on deck to keep up with the maximum capacity crowds over the last month.

President Larry Henton wanted to thank everyone who came out to support the Legion and the fundraiser. ‘It has been good seeing the community coming out to socialize and have some fun down at the Legion.’ He said that with the structural collapse of the old skating rink and the loss of revenue from rink events, the Legion needed the financial boost to carry them through until the new facility opens.

Legion Secretary/Treasurer Cindy Hafner described the wild ride. ‘I’m exhausted and at times it was almost overwhelming but it was exhilarating being part of something special like this. The odds of the Ace of Spades being the last card drawn was 1 in 54 (the two jokers had been added to the deck) but to have the Legion get down to the last card on our very first go was incredible.’

Don’t worry if you missed out on your chance this time around, the Legion is restarting their game this Saturday starting with $2000 in the pot.

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October 26, 2018October 26, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 25: Part 1

Talking Fungi with a Fun Guy

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 21, 2018***

When you speak of mushrooms to the average Manitoban, they think of three things: the washed out, tasteless stems and pieces from a can; the ‘magic’ ones that come from BC or; heaven forbid, do not eat any wild ones because you will poison yourself.

But after speaking with Head Chef Chris Bevan over at Clubhouse 204 located at the Riding Mountain National Park golf course, I gained a new appreciation for the range and variety of different fungi available year round in our Manitoban fields and forests.

Before you go running into the bush and start popping mushrooms into your mouth, there are a few important caveats regarding these delectable, floral fruits of the woods. There are thousands of varieties of fungi in Canada and rules of thumb cannot be relied upon. Chris’s advice is to concentrate on a couple of types in order to keep from running afoul of the poisonous ones.

Thankfully there are only a few deadly varieties found in Manitoba, such as the Amanita virosa or Destroying Angel. This toxic mushroom is described as extremely common and can be mistaken for the white button, store bought mushrooms or edible wild puffballs. It has been reported that just half a mushroom cap can kill a healthy adult.

Other non-edible mushrooms could result in severe gastrointestinal stress. Some cannot be consumed while drinking alcohol. There are a few that will cause liver damage. Some like Comb Tooth or Coral Fungus varieties grow on dead wood when normally it is live wood fungi that are edible. There are plenty of toxic imposters that are labelled ‘False’ such as False Morels or Chanterelles that masquerade as the edible variety.

The insect killing toxin in the Amanita Muscaria, or Fly Agaric, needs to be boiled out a couple of times before it is edible. As a side note, there is a traditional Russian practice of just pickling this mushroom and later drinking the liquid as a type of alcohol.

The moral when it comes to morels or all the rest of these fascinating products of nature is to take your time, do your due diligence, and use multiple sources for reference. Be 100% sure of your fungi identification and method of proper preparation before consumption.

Chris had the following suggestions for the novice wild fungi forager: Enlist the aid of people who know more than you; Chris first developed a love of foraging while with his grandpa who started pointing out what to look for. Use multiple sources of reference; Chris uses several mushroom guides such as Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the North America, Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada, Common Mushrooms of the Northwest, and a phone app called Roger’s Mushrooms. Always start slow, be 100% sure of the species, and keep on top of what new information becomes available.

Chris serves wild mushrooms to his diners and he is 110% sure of what is going on the menu. For example, the Lobster mushroom develops from a parasite which attacks another mushroom variety and turns it into a highly sought after, delectable treat. Supposedly, this zombie fungi parasite can even transform a toxic mushroom into one that is edible. Chris does not take chances with his guests so he makes sure the original host mushrooms were edible in the first place.

So once you have yourself a good sampling of treats from the woods, what do you do with them? According to Chris, the tried and true light frying in butter can never be a bad choice. The earthy, floral, savory (umami) tastes of an early spring morel, summer King or Red Cap Bolete, or fall Oyster mushroom can be enjoyed au naturel. Just remember to start slow with small portions because most people’s systems are not used to wild produce.

For those cooks who are more adventurous, mushrooms such as Puffballs can be cut into cubes, dehydrated and then added to soups or stews similar to bouillon cubes. Considering in a good year Puffballs can be almost a foot-wide, that could be a large cauldron of soup!

When it comes cooking with these woodland delicacies, you are only limited by your imagination and Chris regularly uses them for soups, cream sauces, risotto, and his schnitzel recipes to add a unique, flavourful zing.

Generally, Chris is tromping around in the woods or the fields finding his fungi quarry from early spring to late fall until the first real killing frosts. He is hoping for a nice wet fall to kick start a late crop. But even in the dead of winter there is fungus to look for.

Chaga, from the Russian word for mushroom ‘чага’, is a parasitic growth that can be found on birch trees. Indigenous Russians of the Ural Mountains have used chaga tea for thousands of years for its health benefits. Surprisingly, it tastes like chamomile tea with hints of vanilla. It takes years for a chaga growth to develop on the side of a birch tree and if you are lucky enough to spot one, then you are in for a pleasure.

Happy foraging and even if you come up empty, you will get some exercise and fresh air out in beautiful, fall Manitoba.

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Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

October 26, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 24

Murray Evans, Pat Sullivan, Cam McKillop – Photo Credit Murray Evans

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 14, 2018***

Local Artist Spotlight – Route 10 Collective

Fresh off their latest gig at the Kelwood Harvest Sun Music Fest, I caught up with Murray Evans of the Onanole band, Route 10 Collective, to see how their summer play list was going.

Route 10 Collective could be best described as a Classic Rock Tribute Band. Their repertoire has included Joni Mitchell, The Beetles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and for Kelwood it was their rendition of songs from The Grateful Dead. The band operates with a year-round core group of musicians of 6 to 7 which can swell up to 18 in the summer months when members are in the area. The band usually has two main August performances and will be celebrating their 10^th annual Onanole Community Center concert next year.

Murray described how the idea for a cover band emerged from a Winnipeg get-together and a chance look at another cover band’s play list for ‘The Last Waltz’. ‘The Last Waltz’ was a concert played by the group The Band in 1976 and has inspired numerous tribute bands. Once he returned to Onanole, Murray gathered up fellow musicians, pitched the idea for the band and started playing.

Since the population of Onanole and Wasagaming explodes each summer season, there is no shortage of musicians to fill out the Collective. Some of the players have formal music training and others are just natural musicians. They have even had inter-generational families coming out to play. Some of their members are already accomplished artists with albums to their credit. Others, like Murray, have other projects on the go like his published book on his Asian travels. But the thread tying them all together is a strong passion for live music and performing in front of an audience.

Each summer, The Park becomes a unique microcosm of worldly culture, which Murray says positively buzzes with live music. When musicians are already in the area for temporary summer work or holidays, Route 10 Collective gives them a venue to keep their ‘musical chops’ in tune.

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October 26, 2018October 26, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 23

***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 7, 2018***

Talented Folk Artist at Home in Lake Audy

Recently while in between concert venues, I was able to catch up with the talented singer/song writer, Carly Dow. This poised, self-confident, young woman who uses her wooded Lake Audy property as her inspirational center point, is quickly making her mark on the Canadian Folk music scene.

Carly performs a self-described music genre called ‘wildcrafted folk’ using her haunting tones, potent lyrics, and the twang of a clawhammer banjo. She began her singing career in earnest back in 2013 by entertaining audiences literally coast to coast while riding the rails as an onboard Via Rail entertainer. Her career propelled forward in 2015 with her debut album Ingrained which received critical world-wide acclaim and placed on Top 10 Canadian charts in the folk/roots/blues category. Carly’s singing will undoubtedly continue its upward trajectory with the launching of her Kickstarter funded second album, Comet, with a debut concert at the Winnipeg West End Cultural Centre on October 19. This will kick off a promotion tour which will continue with a stop in Onanole then more shows out in BC.

The young artist candidly shared her story of being a young teenager dabbling in poetry writing who underwent a metamorphosis to develop her skills and natural singing talent into a burgeoning singing career. Although she is from ‘The City’ and majored in Environmental Studies at the University of Manitoba, she and her family frequented Wasagaming for the summers and the wildness of the region was always her true home. The landscape, natural beauty, and concentration of artists that populate the region became the inspiration of her songs, so four years ago, she bought a Lake Audy property to come home to.

According to Carly, her audience is comprised of an even split of the genders in the 25 to 55 year old age range. Her fans generally identify with her music due to their connection with the land and nature. She has really clicked with audiences in Alberta, BC and up north in the Yukon. She had a superb experience while on her 2017 European tour that included venues in the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, and Scotland. The connection in Europe was different because she was the crazy Canuck who hung out with the moose and bears and then sang folk songs.

Any messages in her artistry stem from her experiences in the untamed wilderness and the majestic imagery offered by backwoods Canada. Check out a few of Carly’s powerful music videos available on YouTube and you will see her deep connection to Nature and the world that she surrounds herself with. While attending a 2016 Canadian Wilderness Artists Residency in the Yukon, she recorded Something Lost while canoeing the Yukon River. The beginning of Constellations starts with shots of her home bric-à-brac featuring skulls, bits of crustaceans, and pebbles that she has probably randomly gathered during her adventures. Anyone familiar with the Park will recognize the atypical Manitoba parkland region featured in clips interspersed within So Long/Goodbye.

‘I don’t make any political statements. I just put things out into the world and people will either hear what is relevant to them or hear what they need to hear at the moment. Because of my background, I sing and write from a woman’s narrative, ecological sustainability and about personal stuff related to my life or that of the people I know. I sing so that people can connect with themselves from their own perspective. My audience will figure out what they want to take from my music for themselves.’

Taking advantage of technology, Carly’s newest album will be available first to her Kickstarter backers and then on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, and Google Play for the general public on October 19. Keep track of her upcoming tour dates at www.carlydowmusic.com.

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Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

October 26, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 22

Stormy weather over proposed Four Winds Waste Management site off of PTH 270

***Original published in South Mountain Press, August 31, 2018***

Heated Discussions over Proposed Waste Management Site

Last week from 22 to 24 Aug, the Four Winds Environmental Management Board held a second round of public information sessions in the communities of Erickson, Newdale, Onanole, and Sandy Lake.

In order to better answer the public’s specific concerns over the waste management site proposal, the board brought in technical experts from Neegan Burnside Ltd., the engineering firm that conducted the feasibility report for the project. The report’s author and Lead Technical Specialist (Landfills), Kent Hunter and Project Manager, Kris Sewgoolam were on hand to answer specific technical questions related to their company’s report and the subsequent proposed waste and recycling site. Mr. Hunter is a Professional Engineer licensed in Manitoba and Ontario with 30 years of landfill project experience.

It seems that for the general population of the area, there is not that much concern over the issue. One of the main stipulations of the process to begin with was that levels of waste service would remain the same or improve. The existing six landfill sites already in use will be converted to transfer stations, so instead of a burn pile and dump pit, area residents will place their trash into portable bins instead.

But there is a significant group of about 50 concerned citizens with specific concerns over the project and in no uncertain terms, they are demanding to be heard.

The one item everyone agrees on is that something needs to be done with the area’s waste. But the main sticking point is the site that has been picked for purchase, located at NW 4-17-20 on PTH 250, is unsuitable due to the proximity of the Little Saskatchewan River valley just over a mile away.

Local residents contend that surface and sub-surface water in that area will carry contaminants into the Little Saskatchewan subsequently affecting downstream communities such as Minnedosa and Rapid City. When asked to address this contentious issue, the Neegan Burnside Ltd. representatives said they were confident that landfill development technology is sufficient to prevent this type of scenario.

As Kent Hunter explained, any issues with sub-surface water being contaminated by waste will be dealt with by a properly constructed leech aid-evaporation lagoon. The waste storage pit will be built with a High-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner, covered with select waste that will prevent puncturing, then it will be continuously tested and monitored throughout the landfill’s lifecycle to ensure that it is not leaking. The HDPE material is at a minimum designed to last for the 30 year projected lifespan of the landfill pit.

As for sudden influxes of surface water from spring run-off or heavy rain storms, Mr. Hunter contends that the design of the facility will keep the clean water separated from any polluted water. Although not required by current regulations, the site will be over-engineered to handle a one in one hundred year flood event.

Another hot topic brought forward was the cost and acquisition process of the site chosen. Lloyd Ewashko, Reeve of Harrison Park RM, declared that he is standing by the decisions that have been made leading up to the purchasing of the $500,000 ¼ section of land. Due to provincial regulations, the process of developing a landfill facility requires that the physical site already needs to be in possession of a RM before the process can move forward.

Another major concern raised dealt with comparisons between the proposed Four Winds site with the Evergreen Environmental Technologies Waste Facility located between Neepawa and Minnedosa. The fear is that although the Four Winds site will be initially run as a Class 2 operation accepting a maximum of 5000 metric tons/year that it will be converted later to a Class 1 operation. Although this scenario was discussed in the Feasibility Study as an option, the engineers did not recommend it and the Four Winds Board members say that sort of proposal is not under consideration.

The Board is confident that their solution for the area’s projected waste requirements of 130,000 metric tons over the next 30 years will be managed with their current proposal and subsequent facility.

Moving forward, the next step for the Four Winds Board, as laid out in an August 7^th mail-out to area residents, is the completion of a project business plan. Then by the end of October, after a tendering process, they expect to accept a site design. With completion of an engineering design, environmental licensing can be sought through the Manitoba Sustainable Development department. Monies supplied by Indigenous Services Canada will pay for capital construction costs and operations at the site should begin in the fall of 2019.

A key factor to ensuring the success of the new waste site will be the recycling component. General attitudes and habits regarding garbage and recycling are going to go through an upheaval if the 60% waste diversion rate aimed for by the Four Winds Board is to be realized. For example, the RMs of Harrison Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson have an abysmal 3% diversion rate. Riding Mountain National Park is at the provincial average of 17%.

Surprisingly, the best diversion rates in Canada do not happen in the dense population centers like Toronto or Montreal or out in environmentally conscious BC. In 2017, according to Statistics Canada, PEI led the country in diversion rates. After Halifax implemented their clear bag policy for garbage removal in 2015, in two years waste dropped by 24% and recycling increased by 13%. Small changes of habit and waste policies can reap immediate dividends and the RMs and First Nation Band Councils have been studying other jurisdictions to determine what innovative strategies can be adopted for the region.

The Four Winds Board welcomes the input and level of attention concerning the project that has been received to date. Although aspects of the process can be contentious, waste is a hard fact of life. Federal and provincial regulations and laws governing municipalities and their mandated responsibilities vis-à-vis waste management are steadily becoming more onerous.

For more information about the Four Winds Environmental Management Facility’s progress, contact your Municipal or First Nation offices. Also, keep an eye out online for the soon to be released Four Winds website.

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Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

October 8, 2018

NEPHEW OF A RCNVR HERO – PART IV

Milag POW Ration List a month before Uncle Bill’s liberation

Support From the Home Front

For Able Seaman William Dearl Trickett, POW #1295 and the other Athabaskans behind the barbed wire of Marlag und Milag Nord, adequate food rations were an issue. Too be fair, the Germans in the Bremen area themselves would have had their own issues securing foodstuffs considering the Allied advances. But when your usual daily rations were only a chunk of bread, some tea, a bit of jam, and a potato, the stomach would have been empty most of the time.

Shortly after the 83 Athabaskans were captured at the end of April 1944, an urgent call from the Red Cross for Emergency Kits for newly captured Canadian and British personnel was the front page of the 30 May Canadian Prisoners of War Relatives Association News Sheet. 3000 kits consisting of a towel, face cloth, tooth powder, tooth brush, comb, shaving stick, soap, razor and blades and two safety pins were being shipped immediately. They were trying to also raise sufficient funds to send another 12,000 kits (cost of $1.50 each) ‘as soon as possible so that a large supply will be ready for any emergency that may arise within the next few months.’ I would say that D-Day was a poorly kept secret and everyone knew it was near.

A Molsons Brewery ad asking for donations for 12,000 ‘Urgenrly (sic) Needed’ POW Emergency Kits

The Canadian POW Relatives News Sheet publications are fascinating to read and would have given the people on the Canadian Home Front an opportunity to support their captured loved ones.

Cdn POW Newsletter 30 May 1944

In order to supplement their POW existence, Uncle Bill received food, supplies and well wishes from the Red Cross and loved ones from Kelwood. Below are scans of his Wartime Logbook of items he kept describing the support and parcels he received.

A list of items in a care parcel sent by Bill’s mother

A blank American Red Cross parcel receipt, aluminum foil with paper backing that might have been some type of food wrapper, and a 1 Jun 1944 German food card

Below is a listing of the contents of the various aid parcels that would come to the POW camps. It was said that the Canadian parcels contained the best provisions and were highly sought after.

Contents of Red Cross Parcels

American: 8 oz. Cocoa or 2 ‘D’ Bars. 6 Oz. Jam. 1 Oz. Salt & Pepper. 12 Biscuits ‘K2’. 1 Lb. Prunes. 12 Oz. Bully Beef. 12 oz. Meat & veg. or Spam. 6 Oz. Meat Pate. 8 Oz. Cheese. 1 Lb. Powdered Milk. 8 Oz. Sugar. 1 Lb Oleomargarine. 4 Oz. Soluble Coffee. 8 Oz. Salmon or 2 Sardines. 2 Soap. 80 Cigarettes. 7(?) Vit. C Tablets.

Canadian: 5 Oz. Chocolate. 1 Lb. Jam. 1 Oz. Salt & Pepper. 12 Biscuits. 6 Oz. Prunes. 12 Oz. Bully Beef. 10 Oz. Ham. 7 Oz. Raisins. 4 Oz. Cheese. 1 Lb. Powdered Milk. 8 Oz. Sugar. 1 Lb, Butter. 6 Oz. Coffee or 4 Oz. Tea. 8 Oz. Salmon. 1 Sardine. 1 Soap.

English: 4 Oz. Chocolate. 8 Oz. Jam. 1 tin Egg Powder (2 Oz. Approx.). 8 Oz. Service Biscuits. 8 Oz, Prunes or Apricots. 12 Oz. Meat Roll. 16 Oz. Meat & Veg. 4 Oz. Oatmeal. 1 Soap. 3 Oz. Cheese. 1 Tin Condensed Milk. 4 Oz. Sugar. 8 Oz. Margarine. 4 Oz. Cocoa. 2 Oz. Tea. 8 Oz. Salmon or 8 Oz. Bacon. 1 Pancake Powder or 1 Creamed Rice or 1 Apple Pudding.

Argentine Bulk: 3 Oz. Bully Beef. 5 Oz. Meat & Veg. 3 Oz. Ragout. 2 Oz. Corned Mutton. 4 Oz Pork & Beans. 5 Oz. Butter. 2 Oz. Lard. 2 Oz. Honey. 5 Oz. Jam. 2 Oz. Milk Jam (?). 4 Oz. Condensed Milk. 8 Oz. Sugar. 7 Oz. Cheese. 8 Oz. Biscuits. 1 oz. Pea & Lentil Flour. 3 Oz. Chocolate. 2 Oz. Cocoa. 1 Oz. Tea. 1 Soap. 3 Oz. Dried Fruit

Almost more important than food was the demand for cigarettes requested by and shipped to the Canadian POWs. Letters to home contained pleas to send more cigarettes. Their true purpose was not necessarily for Canadian consumption but for bartering with the German guards for extra necessities. German tobacco was of inferior quality and Canadian cigarettes were used in trade. For example, the going rate for a radio was 5000 to 1.

Large ads like these were regularly run in the Canadian POW Relatives News Sheet.

Relatives of Uncle Bill’s took advantage of the ‘300 Cigarettes for 76¢’ and he kept their receipts in his Logbook.

Mr. W. E. Trickett, Mrs. Lyle Wilson, and Mr. A. Trickett of Kelwood took advantage of the Imperial Tobacco 76¢ offer to send Bill packages of 300 Sweet Caporal cigarettes.

Along with the relief parcels and smokes, there was correspondence back and forth from home. Care was taken to keep personal details to a minimum due to the fact that the Germans might use information on a POW against him. But once the family knew the POW’s prisoner number and their camp, they could send them letters. None were in Bill’s Logbook, neither sent or received but there were some examples of how he could have corresponded.

The first item at the top of the page was a type of pre-printed letter that could be folded up into it’s own envelope. The bottom item was a plain postcard that the POWs could send. Kriegsgefangenenpost translates into Prisoner of War Mail. Postage for the postcards was free and from my research, German POWs in Canada were charged 30¢ to send a letter home via airmail.

Uncle Bill also kept a special piece of Canadian mail from Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King who sent every Canadian POW his well wishes for Christmas 1944. Each POW also received a Canadian Christmas care parcel as well.

Due to the volume of Christmas cards interfering with the normal mail, the POWs had to make due with the PM’s Christmas wishes in 1944.

From my own deployment experiences overseas, I can say that keeping in contact with the Home Front does wonders for moral. Just that little bit of mail or the occasional care parcel would have kept Bill and his fellow prisoners going all those long monthes while waiting for liberation.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

October 7, 2018October 7, 2018

NEPHEW OF A RCNVR HERO – PART III

Flotsam & Jetsam

Every sailor gathers bits and pieces of their travels and keeps them squirreled away as souvenirs of their life at sea. Able Seaman William Dearl Trickett was no exception.

This installment is a selection of the random memories he kept in his Wartime Log.

Meal Ticket #12. Address of Billet or Hostel – 38, Rue de Taciturne. Address of Feeding Centre – 63, Rue de La Loi. These are addresses close to one another in Brussels, Belgium. Uncle Bill must have stayed here after his liberation. 38 Taciturne is a non-descript building that now houses the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung EU Office, the oldest political foundation in Germany. 63, Rue de La Loi is a larger office building that holds the Belgium Permanent Representation to the EU. The meal ticket is not punched, so it might have been extra or the former POWs moved on before they could use them.

A 10 Reichsmark banknote issued in 1929. It was replaced by USA ‘Occupation’ banknotes in 1945. Present worth – $3 CAD

Narrative of a British Free Corps recruiting flyer. In 1943, the Nazis began a program (The BFC) to recruit POWs to fight against the combined Jewish/Communist European threat. Uncle Bill would have received this in his camp.

Only 12 men joined the BFC and the only ‘action’ they saw was when 10 of them were sent to the Russian front in March 1945. None of them fired a shot.

Above: A Chocolate Aguila (Eagle) bar wrapper. Nec plus Ultra would mean the ‘Ultimate’ candy bar. Below: A cigarette package from South America

A 20 and 10 Reichsmark banknote issued in 1929. Below is a 2 Rentenmark banknote that was worth about 50 cents CAD when issued in 1937.

These papers appear to be German food slips and stamps. The line at the bottom of the second one makes it clear that the owner should take good care not to lose them.

Left – A Hitler 1 pfennig postage stamp. Upper Right – A CCCP 15 Kopeck (cent) 1943 coin worth about $1. Bottom Right – A Norwegian 50 Øre – Haakon VII WW2 German Occupation coin, date unknown but issued between 1941 – 45.

Egyptian address of Ali Mohamed Hamamo. A 1 Rentenmark note issued in 1937. A POW issued 10 Reichspfenning note that was not legal German currency. A 5 Reichsmark note issued in 1942.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.