Stephen J. Thorne

Freedom is not free: Supporting Canada’s military

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

One thing has become clear to me researching and writing about Canadian military history over the years: except in times of crisis, national defence in Canada has always taken a back seat to just about everything else, at least in the eyes of government.

It’s not a recent phenomenon. Pierre Trudeau wasn’t the first prime minister to oversee the gutting of the armed forces, and his son, Justin, won’t be the last. It’s not a partisan issue, either. Conservatives are as guilty as Liberals of giving the military, and veterans, short shrift—and they are just as likely to rise to the occasion when urgent need arises.

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Tecumseh, the great Shawnee warrior, was a towering figure in Native American history. Born in the late 18th century, he rose to prominence as a visionary leader dedicated to preserving the land, culture, and sovereignty of his Shawnee people in the face of relentless westward expansion by European settlers. With his compelling oratory skills and unyielding determination, Tecumseh attempted to unite various Native American tribes into a formidable confederacy, forging a united front against encroachment. His fearless exploits in the War of 1812 earned him widespread respect, but tragically, he fell in battle. Tecumseh’s legacy endures as a symbol of indigenous resistance and unity, leaving an indelible mark on the history of North America.

Alexandra Kitty

In chaos, there is order

STORY BY ALEXANDRA KITTY

The following is an excerpt from A Different Track: Hospital Trains of the Second World War by Alexandra Kitty (Heritage House, 2023), reprinted with permission of publisher.

Access to railroad tracks during the Second World War meant the difference between defeat and victory, and life or death. It was often a wheel of fortune as much as it was a lifeline: your fate strictly depended on whether you reached the train in time, and what train came your way. War is always chaotic by nature; even a shrewd, cunning and vigilant person can have providence work against the most ingenious of plans. As such, railroads were essential to stacking the odds in a society’s favour under the worst and most unpredictable of circumstances.

Trains brought food, munitions, and salvation. They provided an escape, but many times they also brought ruin and doom. Holocaust victims were sent to their deaths, and for some, the weapons were brought to their enemies to kill them. The wheels spun in every direction even as the tracks moved in a single line. Yet there was one kind of train where the chances of survival greatly increased with its arrival: the hospital train.

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Public Domain

Honouring the sacrifices of nurse Edith Cavell

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

Edith Cavell has often been referred to as the other Florence Nightingale, the equivalent of the famed nurse and social reformer known as the founder of modern nursing. Still, Cavell did more than just carry the torch of Nightingale’s social reforms; she was a luminary in her own right, establishing the foundation of nursing education and a key figure in aiding the escape of up to 1,000 Allied soldiers from Belgium during the First World War. She was executed for helping the Allies on Oct. 12, 1915, which galvanized western countries such as Canada into honouring her legacy.

Born on Dec. 4, 1865, in Norfolk, England, Cavell was nurtured as much by the rich meaning of her vicar father’s sermons as she was by her family’s loving nature.

“She grew up learning about truth, dedication, the love of God and humanity,” wrote nurse and author Terri Arthur in the May 2020 The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. “Right and wrong were well defined.”

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