Monthly Archives: July 2025

Canada Day is forever Memorial Day in Newfoundland

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Front Lines

The National War Memorial on July 1, 2025, 109 years after the slaughter at Beaumont-Hamel. [Stephen J. Thorne]

Canada Day is forever Memorial Day in Newfoundland

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

On July 1, 1916, nearly 800 members of the Newfoundland Regiment went over the top at Beaumont-Hamel in northern France. A day later, just 68 answered roll call.

It was 9:15 a.m. on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles of a bloody war, and two waves of Allied troops had gone before them.

The lead elements were all but wiped out. Still, the Newfoundlanders, citizens of what was then the hardscrabble Dominion of Newfoundland, were ordered on. And, so, on they went.

“There were no waverers, no stragglers, not a man looked back,” said Major-General Beauvoir de Lisle, commander of the 29th British Division, “it was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further.”

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The Briefing
The Briefing

Canadian astronaught Chris Hadfield reads the new children’s book by the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research. [CIMVHR]

New children’s books shines light on Canadian military experience

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

Representation matters to the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). That’s why the organization has published a new children’s book series dedicated to families of those they have long supported and cared for.

Adapted from Australian versions created by Marg Rogers, both the originals and their Canadian counterparts address themes associated with military culture, from deployment to relocation to operational stress injuries and more, providing young readers with an age-appropriate understanding of service and its meaning.

The four current storybooks, with four more on the way, pull inspiration from uniquely Canadian aspects of the language, its cultural characters, animals and place settings, which ensures a feeling of inclusively for all readers. Plus, each tale is grounded in the most recent scientific evidence, presenting parents with additional resources for tackling challenging topics with their kids.

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Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca

Recapping an exciting Canada Day week! 🇨🇦

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A newsletter from a fellow Canadian organization in the Bay Area (and we thank them for the plug).

Canadian Studies Announcements
Dear friends – greetings from Canadian Studies! On behalf of the Program, we would like to wish you a very happy belated Canada Day. We hope that you were all able to celebrate your Canadian pride and enjoy the wonderful weather!

You may have been wondering where we’ve been. The last two weeks have been a busy time for the Program. Most importantly, as of July 1, Professor Hidetaka Hirota has assumed sole leadership of Canadian Studies after the official retirement of longtime co-director, Professor Emeritus Richard A. Rhodes. Please join us in congratulating Professor Hirota and thanking Professor Rhodes for his many years of service.

We’ve also been involved with a lot of events recently, across both the Bay Area and Canada! These events help us build the connections that strengthen our network of friends across North America, at a time when cross-border, person-to-person relationships are more important than ever. In this newsletter, we’re excited to share with you some of the many goings-on during these last packed weeks!

Canadian Studies Goes to Canada
Outgoing director Professor Richard A. Rhodes and program coordinator Tomás Lane conducted a whistle-stop tour of Canada that allowed them to celebrate Canada Day in the country! It was the first official visit by Program staff to Canada since 2019. We started in Toronto, where we were invited to represent the Program at an alumni and student mixer hosted by the Berkeley Club of Canada. There, we caught up with several friends, including Hildebrand Fellow Allison Evans, who is investigating the increasing prevalence of homelessness in semi-rural Ontario, and board member Rosann Greenspan. We were also pleased to make the acquaintance of alumni of all ages!

Afterwards, Professor Rhodes travelled to Quebec City to confer with Professor Luc Baronian, a linguist at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. The two are working on a book on varieties of North American French, based on research first presented at a Canadian Studies conference. Meanwhile, Tomás took a detour to Montreal to meet board member Kathryn Exon Smith and check in with Hildebrand Fellow Jennifer Kaplan, who is researching new forms of gender-neutral French.

Canada Day Flag Raising at San Francisco City Hall
Back in California, Canadian Studies was honored to be asked to participate in the official raising of the Canadian flag over San Francisco City Hall to celebrate Canada Day and the Bay Area’s Canadian community. The ceremony was led by SF mayor Daniel Lurie and Consul General Rana Sarkar. Canadian Studies advisory board chair Griselda Zhou and board member Rhonda Rubinstein represented the Program; other friends in attendance included consulate representatives Marie Alnwick and Kate Walter, Digital Moose Lounge chair Sarah Price, and Michael Barbour, president of Royal Canadian Legion US Branch #25.

Sneak Peak of the San Francisco Premiere of Kim’s Convenience

Finally, the Program would like to extend our warm thanks to the Consulate General of Canada for inviting the Canadian Studies team to a sneak peek of the first-ever San Francisco production of Kim’s Convenience, the original play behind the hit CBC sitcom. It was such a pleasure to celebrate this iconic show with its creator, the brilliant Ins Choi (who will play Appa in the SF production).

The reception was jointly hosted by American Conservatory Theater (ACT) and the consulates of Canada and South Korea. Canadian Studies board member Jennifer Wong represented the Program, joined by Marie Alnwick and Kate Walter from the Consulate and Sarah Price from the DML.

Kim’s Convenience opens at the ACT Toni Rembe Theater on September 18. Stay tuned for more information!

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

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Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley 213 Philosophy Hall #2308 | Berkeley, CA 94720 US

Continental army barracks burned by British discovered in Colonial Williamsburg

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Front Lines

Archeologists working at Colonial Williamsburg in Virgina unearthed bricks that are believed to have been part of continental army barracks burned down by British forces during the American Revolution. [Colonial Williamsburg Foundation]

Continental army barracks burned by British discovered in Colonial Williamsburg

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Archeologists in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., are exploring the remains of a continental army barracks burned by the British during the Revolutionary War.

The researchers have unearthed bricks and artifacts, including parts of weapons, ceramics, a belt buckle and a glass button. They also found lead musket balls riddled with teeth marks left by bored soldiers who, unaware of its laundry list of health risks, would chew on the sweet-tasting lead.

Eighteenth-century maps of the 1.2-1.6-hectare site and other historical documents have long suggested that military housing existed near what is now a visitor centre. It wasn’t until they began excavating last year, however, that researchers found bricks from the buildings’ chimneys.

Built in the midst of the 1775-1783 war for American independence, the barracks could house up to 2,000 soldiers and 100 horses. But they didn’t last.

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VICTORY! Canada and the end of WW II

Now available! The newest Canadian Military Moment from Legion Magazine, Victory! Canada and the end of WW II, as told by Kim Coates.

Today, as the world confronts new challenges, shifting allegiances and threatening words, its leaders and, most especially, their citizenries, would be wise to remember the lessons of the Second World War.

Perhaps never have the words of philosopher George Santayana been more relevant: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

WATCH NOW! 
The Briefing
The Briefing

Author Ian Pegg’s book, Death and Heroes – Army Chaplains in World War 2 will be published in hardback in summer 2025. [Chiselbury Publishing]

Chaplain historian highlights Canadian padres of WW II

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

“What makes a man go to war without a weapon to serve on the front line in some of the harshest situations, sometimes giving up his freedom willingly, and in other times, making the ultimate sacrifice?” wondered author Ian Pegg about chaplains in the Second World War.

His curiosity for the answer led him to write, Death and Heroes: Army Chaplains in World War II, due to be released this summer.

The book is the British civil servant-turned-military historian’s debut. “I wanted to understand who these padres were as people,” noted Pegg. “I like personal stories.”

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Email sent to: mkbarbour@gmail.com

Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca

Consultation results – Transition services

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An item from the folks at Veterans Affairs Canada that may be of interest to members.

Hello,

In late 2024, we invited you to share your experience transitioning to life after service. We sincerely thank all who participated in the consultation. Your valuable feedback has provided important insights into how Veterans, RCMP members, and their families adjust during their transition to life after service. It will also help us identify opportunities to enhance the support and services we offer.

We encourage you to review the summary of findings on Let’s Talk Veterans.

Thank you again for contributing to this important work.

Sincerely,

Community Engagement Team

Veterans Affairs Canada