Veterans Remembrance Program

September 29, 2023

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Commemorative banners to honour the local veterans who lost their lives in World War I and World War II will be displayed along the Island Highway and the Alberni Highway from October 4 to November 27. Approved by Parksville Council in 2020, this annual program honours the veterans whose names are listed on the Parksville Cenotaph.

We appreciate the many residents who shared personal stories and valuable information about family members, not otherwise obtainable through archives or museums. We encourage you to read the many heartwarming, yet tragic stories of the World War I and World War II veterans featured on our website. The details were gathered through extensive research over the past few years. As you will read in the stories, many of the local young men who enlisted, especially in World War I, were recent arrivals from such places as the United Kingdom and Australia and were too young to have started families, adding to the challenge to find photographs and details.

Our search for the missing information continues and our website identifies those veterans; if you can help, please contact Deb Tardiff, communications@parksville.ca.

For more information:
Deb Tardiff, Manager of Communications
communications@parksville.ca; 250 954-3073

October 3, 2022

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Commemorative banners to honour the local veterans who lost their lives in World War I and World War II will be displayed along the Island Highway East and the Alberni Highway through November. Approved by Parksville Council in 2020, this annual program honours the veterans whose names are listed on the Parksville Cenotaph.

Through continued research, we are pleased to add four new veteran banners. Of the sixty veterans listed on the Cenotaph, we have been able to find photos for 38. We appreciate the many residents who shared personal stories and valuable information about family members, not otherwise obtainable through archives or museums. Gathering information and stories to personalize the lives of these veterans has been rewarding and challenging for the City. Our sincere thanks to researcher, Valda Stefani, who pursued the stories through archives worldwide, establishing relationships with military museums and other researchers, and conducting interviews to ensure we learn about as many veterans as possible.

The City’s website tells the incredible and heartwarming stories of the World War I and World War II veterans. As you will read in the stories, many of the local young men who enlisted, especially in World War I, were recent arrivals from such places as the United Kingdom and Australia and were too young to have started families, adding to the challenge to find photographs and details. Our search for missing details continues and our website identifies those veterans; if you can help, contact Deb Tardiff.

October 4, 2021

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From October 5 through November, commemorative banners to honour local veterans who gave their lives in World War I and World War II, will be displayed along Island Highway East between McMillan and McVickers Streets. Approved by Parksville Council in 2020, this program honours the sixty veterans whose names are listed on the Parksville Cenotaph.

Despite challenging and extensive research to find photos and veteran information, we are pleased to expand the program in 2021 by adding four more banners as well as a new section on the City’s website which tells the incredible and heartwarming stories of the World War I and World War II veterans. Please take a few minutes to read these individual stories, we know you won’t be disappointed. Our sincere thanks to researcher, Valda Stefani, who pursued the stories through archives worldwide, establishing relationships with military museums and other researchers and conducting interviews to ensure we were able to learn about as many veterans as possible. https://www.parksville.ca/cms.asp?wpID=570

As you will read in the stories, many of the local young men who enlisted, especially in World War I, were recent arrivals from such places as the United Kingdom and Australia and were too young to have started families, adding to the challenge of finding photographs and details. We thank the many residents for sharing their personal stories and valuable information about family members, information not otherwise obtainable through archives or museums. This process of gathering information and stories to personalize the lives of these veterans has been rewarding for the City. Our search for missing details continues and the City website lists those veterans; if you can help, contact Deb Tardiff (250 954-3073; communications@parksville.ca).

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic Poppy symbol of remembrance in Canada. This year’s Poppy campaign begins October 29 with the annual flag raising ceremony by the Legion. Legion Week, October 11 to 17, will be recognized at the Royal Canadian Legion Mt Arrowsmith Branch #49 with a series of events. Branch 49 is located at 146 Hirst Avenue West in Parksville.

October 6, 2020

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From October 13 through November, commemorative banners to honour local veterans who gave their lives in World War I and World War II, will be displayed along Highway 19A between McMillan and McVickers Streets.

Earlier this year, Council approved the veteran banner program to honour the veterans whose names are listed on the Parksville Cenotaph. There are sixty names on the Cenotaph from the two world wars and through extensive research we have been able to obtain images and information for thirty-one veterans.

Research for the project began in April and although it has presented some incredible findings, it has also posed many challenges. Our experienced researcher, Valda Stefani, has been pleased to pursue the veterans’ stories even though archives worldwide were closed for months due to the pandemic. Valda established relationships with military museums and other researchers and conducted interviews to ensure we were able to put faces to as many names as possible. Many of the local young men who enlisted, especially in World War I, had recently arrived from places as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia and were too young to have started families, adding to the challenge of finding photographs. We received images from archives in England, Ireland, Parksville Museum and Archives, UBC Archives, Times Colonist, personal collections and other sources.

Many residents have shared personal stories and valuable information about family members, information not otherwise obtainable through archives or museums. This process of gathering information and stories to personalize the lives of these veterans has been rewarding. Over the next year, our research will continue and as the program evolves, we will share photographs and stories on our website. We will continue our search for information and if you can help, contact Deb Tardiff (250 954-3073; dtardiff@parksville.ca.) Our website details the missing information and as well as the veterans listed on the Cenotaph.

QUOTE: “As a community, it is important we remember and recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by our veterans. The City is extremely proud of this project and honoured to launch this ongoing memorial banner project. As residents drive along Highway 19A, we hope they will take a moment to reflect on the significance.” Mayor Ed Mayne, City of Parksville

Edmund Campbell Dunn – World War I Edmund Campbell Dunn came to Parksville from England, probably around 1910 or 1911. The son of a reverend, he was well educated and a fully qualified solicitor. He bought a ranch here and raised poultry. He joined the Canadian Infantry, BC Regiment, 7th Battalion as a sergeant and was killed by machine gun fire during an attack on enemy positions at Mount Sorrel, Belgium on June 3, 1916. He was 31.

Verity Everest – World War II A green-eyed, red-haired young man who played sports during his school days here in Parksville and Qualicum, Verity Everest joined the Air Cadets in his two years at Victoria High School. He worked as a joiner’s helper at Yarrows. Keen to fly, he enlisted with the RCAF in 1943 and flew with Squadron 98 in a Mitchell Twin Engine bomber which was shot down during night operations in France. It was the night of June 13, 1944, and Verity Everest was 19.

PHOTO (left to right)

Mayor Ed Mayne,
Valda Stefani, Project Research
Ken Griffith, President, Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #49 – Mt Arrowsmith