Remembrance Day 2012

Commemorative plate including CWACs - Canadian Women's Army Corp

The Museum's Remembrance Day display is featured in two display cases and approximately 4 square meters (45 square feet) of vertical space in the main gallery.  It features artifacts, memorabilia, and photos in remembrance of the local people who served in the Canadian Armed Forces and will be up until just after 11 November 2012.

Local Armed Forces Members

Two hand-lettered scrolls, commissioned by Cominco, document the names of the men and women from the Sullivan Mine and the Sullivan Concentrator in active service in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War Two (WWII).  These scrolls were previously on display in Kimberley's Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 67 which existed from 1926 to 2011. 

Sullivan Mine Employees

Sullivan Concentrator Employees

Remembering Those Back Home, WWI

While overseas, some armed forces personnel in World War One (WWI) may have sent back a hand-crafted embroidered silk postcard to a loved one; such as the one shown below.  These postcards were embroidered by French women in their homes, then sent to factories where they were mounted on cards.  Embroidering these became a thriving cottage industry in 1915. Approximately 10,000,000 of these cards were made between 1915 and 1919.

Handcrafted embroidered silk postcard and modern Canadian coins

World's First Coloured Coin

In 2004, The Royal Canadian Mint struck a commemorative quarter, on the right in the photo above, featuring a single red corn poppy. It was the world's first coloured coin in circulation.  The coin on the left, is a 2010 Canadian quarter issued by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armistice. 

The 2010 Poppy quarter: Royal Canadian Mint Poppy coin

Battledress, WWII

WWII battledress uniform and wreath

The Canadian battledress featured hidden buttons on the blouse and a large map pocket on the trousers. It was a very durable uniform made of wool in a colour slightly greener than the British uniform.

Armed Forces personnel would have worn their uniform, even after the war, to Remembrance Day ceremonies and other special events, training exercises of local militia which went on after the war, and special veterans' meetings.  Rifle training after WWII was conducted at a shooting range east of the current entrance to the main parking lot of the Kimberley Ski Hill.

Cominco support of the war effort

"Our baby elephant develops a kick"

Cominco, the main employer in Kimberley, BC, often featured war-related themes in their company magazines distributed to all employees during the World Wars.  The magazine was published from 1940 to 1971; first as a monthly magazine, then down to six times a year at the end.

 Airmen and their gear

Model plane and cipher flags code book

Aviator, Gordon Fisher's head gear

This head gear belonged to aviator Gordon Fisher pictured here, (Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History) in the cockpit of an airplane ca. 1944.  The special construction around the ear allowed for the wearing of headphones so all crew could communicate during flight in the noisy, unpressurized airplanes.


Kimberley's Rememberance Day Ceremonies will, as usual be conducted at the Kimberley cenotaph, constructed in October of 1956 from 3 tonnes of rock from Cominco's open pit mine.  The cenotaph is located at the corner of Spokane Street, Kimberley Avenue, and Gerry Sorenson Way.  This year, members of the Kimberley Community Band and the Kimberley Community Choir will lead the music.



As always, please come in to the Museum to see more items - such as an air force nurse's uniform, newspaper articles, photos of local veterans, and much more - and gain more knowledge of the influence of military service on Kimberley's citizen and culture.  See hours above.

Dianne C.
Director and volunteer