Page 13 - Presbyterian Connection

Connection
Canada Day in Newfoundland
presbyterian.ca
FALL 2024
The War Memorial in Newfoundland.
By the Rev. Dr. Ian Wishart, former minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in St. John’s, N.L.
Newfoundland buried a soldier from the first world war. July 1, 2024, was a very special day
in Newfoundland and Labrador, apart from its significance as Canada Day.
July1,1915,wasthedaywhen the Newfoundland Regiment was almost wiped out at Beaumont Hamel in France. The unit was part of the 29th Division of the British army at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. During June, the Division had been care- fully prepared for a coming offen- sive. The offensive was planned to begin on July 1. Allied troops attacked the German positions at 7:30 in the morning, without suc- cess. Within minutes, hundreds of soldiers were killed or wounded. At 8:45, the Newfoundland and Essex Regiments were ordered into the fray. At 9:45, Lt-Col. Had- ow, Commanding Officer of the Newfoundland Regiment, repor t- ed failure of the attack to British Battle Headquar ters. The follow- ing day, only 68 of the 778 men of the Regiment answered the call. The rest were dead, wounded or missing in action.
The body of one of those sol- diers, recently found buried in France, was exhumed, and on July 1,2024,theremainswereinterred back home in St. John’s. As a for- mer minister of St. Andrew’s Pres- byterian Church in St. John’s, N.L., and now as chaplain of the Royal Canadian Legion, I took part in the ceremonies along with Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Shawn Samp- son (Anglican), who committed the coffin of the unknown soldier into the tomb at the Newfoundland National War Memorial.
The National War Memorial was dedicated on July 1, 1924, by Field Marshall Haig, the British army commander, to commemo- rate the casualties of Newfound- landers in the first world war. It now also bears memorials to the second world war, Korean war and Afghanistan war. The con- duct of the regiment during World War I was such that the present Regiment bears the title “Royal Newfoundland Regiment.” This ceremony marked the 100th an-
niversary of the park.
The Memorial has been recon-
structed to renew and refurbish exhibits. Among these is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier of Newfoundland (referring to New- foundland’s status before it be- came part of Canada). A grave in France on one of the battlefields, where many soldiers of the New- foundland Regiment laid down their lives, was reopened, and the coffin was sent to St. John’s in time for this ceremony.
Several officials and dignitaries attended the event, including Her Excellency Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada; the Honourable Joan Marie Aylward, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador; the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada; and the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of New- foundland and Labrador. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal who is the Colonel in Chief of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, was due to attend but could not.
The Rev. Dr. Ian Wishart standing by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the ceremony. PHOTO CREDITS: ROBERT YOUNG
tunities for communication, lis- tening and mutual respect. From there, we create a sense of trust and the feeling that each person belongs to something. Above all, it has been fun!
If there is a message for public service organizations, including the various faiths, it is that the heart of your mission lies within your community at the street level. Talk to the shop owners, attend a neighbourhood meeting, visit a food bank—integrate. The philosophy of working together on common interests has been around for a long time. But with- out finding out what the issues are for your community, the common goals may not reveal themselves.
PRESBYTERIAN
13
Grant Money Supports Bradford’s Youth and Seniors
By Jim Martin, Clerk of Session, St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ont.
When the Federal Government released its Community Service Recovery Fund (CSRF) grant program in 2023, the Session at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in
Bradford, Ont., knew what its ap- plication would contain.
In 2017, our team began a two- year initiative to do more for the youth of Bradford. It was motivat- ed, in part, by a Simcoe County Board of Education report that 75% of some 10,000 students re- ported stress and anxiety as their
main concerns. Further research suggested that the suicide rate among those under 20 years of age was the highest it had been since World War II.
Perhaps the biggest societal dif- ference from previous generations has been the negative aspects of social media, such as anony- mous bullying, on today’s youth. The pandemic delayed our youth programs, but when the Federal Government identified isolation and mental health concerns post- Covid, we knew we could incorpo- rate both objectives.
There are many experts who promote the therapeutic and spir- itual benefits of gardening. Our grant built on that concept. We took our existing landscaping and improved it by adding walk- ways, a gazebo and benches un- der trees that the residents of the Elden Retirement Home, located next to us, can safely walk on and rest against in the shade.
We put in eight garden boxes and involved our youth in the building and planting of these boxes. One of our members, a teacher, started a project with her class, planting seeds in the class- room and nurturing them until
they were ready for transplant- ing. The children’s handprints, in paint, adorn the boxes they planted. From the start, the young people have known that they are growing vegetables for donation to our local Food Bank. The Food Bank was involved in suggesting the vegetables they could use.
This project has touched on many vulnerabilities in our so- ciety today—it has included an inter-generational, diverse group focussed on supporting young people toward a common goal. Our youth are learning lessons and skills that they may carry with them throughout life, including giving to others. Most important- ly, common goals create oppor-