I suspect that last Monday’s 78th anniversary of “Operation Overlord,” or D-Day as it is commonly known, passed with nary a ripple in the mainstream media. Which isn’t surprising given that the bulk of the news outlets in this country — whether social, dead tree or government beholden — have a decidedly progressive bent. To acknowledge the largest amphibious invasion in history would probably be seen as “celebrating war.” And that would be a definite no-no; despite the fact the D-Day landings were responsible for putting the fascist threat back in the bottle, at least in Western Europe, for a goodly while.
The June 6, 1944 assault on Hitler’s “Atlantic Wall” was the beginning of the end of the largest global conflict the world has ever seen. Nearly 10,000 young men from Great Britain, Canada, the United States and other allies lost their lives, their limbs and even their minds on the beaches of Normandy in the name of liberty. I’m not sure how many of the 59 Kenyon residents on the 1939-1945 Honour Roll in Dunvegan’s Presbyterian church took part in this watershed battle. And it matters not. Wherever they served — be it in the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders’ landing on Juno Beach; or the Italian campaign’s bloody Battle of Ortona; or the Battle of the Atlantic that was fought on, under and over the frigid waters of that unforgiving ocean — the men and women from Dunvegan, Kenyon, Glengarry and the rest of Canada selflessly answered the call.
That’s why I took a minute last Monday to reflect on their sacrifice. The ‘freedom’ they fought and died for on June 6, 1944 went far beyond today’s crudely hand-painted sloganeering . These people were willing to give up their lives to preserve a way of life they believed in. It was only after my former naval officer father died that I learned he had always regretted not being a part of the armada. However, he had a good excuse. He was home on a short leave in Canada to marry my mother.
Leslie & Weldon’s park
Regrettably, Terry and I were unable to attend last Saturday’s official dedication of the Dunvegan Recreation Association’s Clark-MacIntosh Park and the first “Meet your Neighbours” event since Covid nailed a lid on things. We were in Toronto for a long anticipated, pandemic delayed visit with our daughter and her family. However, Kim Raymond, the DRA’s president, kindly provided me with a summary. I’m told the event saw over sixty Dunvegan-area residents come out for the festivities under the picture-perfect sunny sky… including members of the Clark and MacIntosh families. After the dedication ceremony, the children in attendance played badminton, bocce ball and croquet, blew bubbles and put the playground equipment to the test. There was also a yummy activity table supervised by DRA volunteers Peyton Russett, Inleigh Morrison and Reilly Smith where kids were invited to decorate delicious sugar cookies made by Heather Raymond.
When the Township of North Glengarry offered to provide professional signage, it was unanimously decided to name the upgraded park in honour of the DRA’s very first president and vice-president: Leslie Clark and Weldon MacIntosh, respectively. The upgrading of the park has been a work in progress for several years and saw contributions from all across the community. For starters, Deputy-mayor Carma Williams, Councillor Jeff Manley and Township Recreation Committee members Anne Leduc and Bob Linney were 100% behind the project. But that was just the beginning. Kim tells me that the Leduc family, Rory Levert and Heartland Insurance, The Maxville & District Lions Club and Jim Mullin’s Heritage Christmas Craft Fair all provided generous financial assistance for this project.
These many contributions of green energy were also matched with in-kind donations from the community. For example, Dunvegan newcomer Marie Josée Proulx donated mountains of the special high-quality sand required for the new play structure and swings. And Brain Campbell not only moved the sand from Marie Josée’s place, he stored it until it was needed. As for preparing the site for the installation of the new play structure and tidying up afterwards, Kim wanted to acknowledge: Jeremy Faille, McMac Tent Rentals, Brian Campbell, Glenn Campbell, Robert Campbell, Bruce MacGillivray, Garry Howes, Aidan, Cole, Dawson and Oakley Williams, Vivian Franklin, Eileen Franklin, Anne Bertrand, Louise Quenneville, Bob Garner and Laurie Maus. As well, Addison Hay, Nathan Reimers and Caleb Raymond donated an easily accessible picnic table they built in a GDHS shop class under the supervision of teacher, Ryan Winters. And MacGregor Gardens kindly donated two lovely bushes.
Kim also asked me to spotlight the huge contribution past-president Ben Williams made to the park project. Ben worked tirelessly with the Township, as well as cajoling resources from within the community, organizing work bees and orchestrating the revitalization of this community space.
A big fist or elbow bump (or even a handshake) to all who helped bring this lovely community project to fruition.
A meeting of the Clan
If you passed by the Dunvegan museum Saturday around noon and wondered why all the cars were parked there, you (like me) didn’t read last week’s Glengarry News closely enough. There, nestled amongst the news from hither and yon, was an ad for the Clan MacLeod Society of Glengarry’s picnic. The society’s first such event was held in Dunvegan on the 4th of July 1936 and it was a doozy. Over 1,000 members of Clan MacLeod gathered just north of Dunvegan for a picnic in the maple grove on Donald D. Macleod’s farm at the corner of Stewart’s Glen Road and the road to St. Isidore.
The Clan MacLeod Society of Glengarry was the first to be formed outside of Scotland. And while Saturday’s picnic in Dunvegan was no match for the inaugural one held here at the height of the Great Depression, organizer Isobel Clark told me the group was pleased with the turnout of seventy, given that this was the first clan gathering in three years. In a nod to pandemic protocols, the clan forewent its traditional potluck fare and settled for professionally prepared sandwiches and salads.
Once everyone had their coffee and dessert, the Quigley Highlanders Pipes and Drums entertained the gathering with music from the Glen. The Quigley Highlanders were followed on stage by what Isobel described as, “assorted MacLeod fiddlers and friends.” And, to cap off the afternoon’s entertainment, Ashley and Chad McRae’s daughters, Kenzie and Shelby, wowed the crowd with their rendition of Gaelic folk tunes.
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