A World War II Honour Roll, which features the names of hundreds of locals who served in the war, will soon be displayed at the Canada Summit Centre in Huntsville.
It comes after a meeting on May 29, where committee accepted the donation of the World War II Honour Roll from Branch 232 who requested it be displayed at the Summit Centre.
Jim Simpson from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 232 was before the committee, agreeing to transfer the ownership to the Town.
“This artifact displays the names of 398 veterans of the Second World War from the Huntsville area and has been in the stairwell of the Huntsville Post office for a very long time, possibly dating back to the 1960s,” Simpson shared. “Renovations to the post office, however, which took place in 2021, closed off the stairwell entrance therefore removing the honor roll from public view.”
Simpson says after many months of deliberation, Canada Post accepted ownership of the Honor Roll display and transferred it to the branch, allowing its removal from the post office.
“I believe this issue to be of great importance to many residents and descendant families in Huntsville,” Simpson says.
Nancy Alcock, Huntsville mayor, expressed her gratitude and excitement to receive the donation and stated there is no better place than the Summit Center “given the number of people that go through there daily, and the number of tourists that actually go through there as well.”
“Driving your history is like driving a car. You have to check the rearview mirror once in a while to remember where you came from so that you remember where you’re going,” says councilor Cory Clarke.
Council says municipal workers will move it from the post office to the Canada Summit Centre, where a formal unveiling ceremony will occur in the coming months.
