PORTRAIT / PROFILE
Meet Charles Hunter, witness of the 20 th century
CORPORATION DE LA MUNICIPALITÉ DE LA NATION
PROPRIÉTÉS À VENDRE
En conformité avec le règlement no 26-2012 administrant la vente de propriétés municipales, le Conseil a déclaré les propriétés suivantes comme surplus à ses besoins et par la présente, désire faire une offre de vente :
PARTIE DU LOT 17, CONCESSION 11 Dans l’ancien Canton de Calédonia étant décrit comme 1792, chemin Mainville Grandeur du lot : 0.85 acre Prix minimum requis : 7 000 $ en plus des coûts reliés à cette vente PARTIE DU LOT 19, CONCESSION 11 Dans l’ancien Canton de Calédonia étant décrit comme 1960, chemin Mainville Grandeur du lot : 0.84 acre Prix minimum requis : 7 000 $ en plus des coûts reliés à cette vente PARTIE DU LOT 20, CONCESSION 10 Dans l’ancien Canton de Calédonia étant décrit comme 2061, chemin Mainville Grandeur du lot : 0.94 acre Prix minimum requis : 7 000 $ en plus des coûts reliés à cette vente
photo Candice Vetter
Charles Hunter stands in front of Second World War memorabilia in his room in Russell Meadows retirement home. The medals and tokens belong to him, his father and brothers, one of whom was killed. The photo shows Hunter with two buddies in Rome. Both friends were killed shortly afterward, but says Hunter, “They had a real good day in Rome.”
C ANDICE V ETTER candice.vetter@eap.on.ca
After the battle his division was sent to rest in an orange grove. The owner showed them a large concrete cistern—dirty and filled with algae, so they cleaned it. “And here’s how it looked,” he said, laughed, and clicked on a photo. Men swam and sat around a huge concrete pool, and oh, yes, they’re all naked. His prized object is his army jacket, still in excellent condition. It was from the First World War because there weren’t enough new ones ready. Hunter says he was a neat soldier, looked after his things, became more disciplined after seeing combat, was promoted five times and demoted five times. When he returned to Canada he lived the life of a young bachelor. “The girls looked pretty good.” After the war he trained as a lab technician and worked for CP Rail in Montreal analyzing oil from diesel engines. He switched to CIL, working in their explosives laboratory. His last employer was Nobel. He retired to the Ottawa area to be close to his son and family, and has lived near his son in Russell for 20 years. He said he recently got tired of looking after himself, so moved into a retirement home in Kanata. But when Russell Meadows opened, he moved back. He was married for many years to Audrey Stokes, who passed away accidentally while they were on holiday. They had three children. Later he needed a lawyer who one day asked him if he would take out her mother. He ended up going out with the lady for ten years and considers her family part of his. He has returned to some of the places he saw during the war and has photos of Ortona after the shelling and later after post-war rebuilding. Although he doesn’t plan to go again he wants others to know about a trip being planned by Stephen Gregory. Operation Husky 2013 will revisit the route taken by the First Infantry Division in July, 1943, on the 70 th anniversary of the Sicily landing. If interested email ashepstone@explorica.ca.
RUSSELL | He was born in Montreal almost 92 years ago of Scottish and English parents. He grew up during the Great Depression. He went to war and was among the “lucky ones” to came back barely without a scratch. He went on to live a happy life, raising a family. For almost 20 years, he has lived in the Russell area. His name is Charles Hunter. Growing up during the Depression, his family was considered wealthy by neighbours because his father was one of the few men on their street who worked every day. Hunter was one of many young men who joined up in 1939 to fight in the Second World War. He joined the First Infantry Division, who was primary defence against German airborne troops. He still belongs to his old regiment. The first three years of the war were spent in Britain and briefly in France. Says Hunter, “I wasn’t a very good soldier then. I enjoyed myself too much.” He didn’t see combat until July 10, 1943, when his division was part of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily in which Canadians fought under their own command for the first time. “We were green troops,” says Hunter. “But we were educated quickly by the Germans.” He spent two years in Italy, had malaria twice, was buried during shelling, and came through the war with only three “band-aid wounds”. He says, “I was very, very lucky.” He lost his brother and many very good friends and still thinks of them. His room at Russell Meadows retirement home displays memorabilia from that time, with photos on display and on his computer, each with a story. There is one of him on leave in Rome with two friends and two girls they’d met. Shortly afterwards the friends were killed. Hunter treasures the memory of the “real good day in Rome.”
Des soumissions scellées, clairement identifiées incluant un chèque certifié ou une traite bancaire au montant de 20% du prix soumis, seront reçues par la soussignée jusqu’à midi, heure locale, le 23 avril 2012, au bureau municipal à Casselman. Les soumissions seront ouvertes publiquement à cette même date, lors de l’assemblée du Conseil, à compter de 19 h.
MUNICIPALITÉ DE LA NATION a/s Mary McCuaig, Greffière 958, route 500 ouest, Casselman, Ontario KOA 1MO Tél. : 613 764-5444, poste 222 • Télécopieur : 613 764-3310
VEUILLEZ IDENTIFIER CLAIREMENT LA PROPRIÉTÉ SUR LAQUELLE VOUS FAITES UNE OFFRE.
THE CORPORATION OF THE NATION MUNICIPALITY
PROPERTIES FOR SALE
In accordance with By-law no. 26-2012 governing the sale of municipal real property, the Council has declared the following properties as surplus to its needs and hereby offers it for sale:
PART OF LOT 17, CONCESSION 11 In the former Township of Calédonia being described as 1792 Mainville Road Lot size: 0.85 acre Minimum asking price: $7,000 plus all cost related to this sale PART OF LOT 19, CONCESSION 11 In the former Township of Calédonia being described as 1960 Mainville Road Lot size: 0.84 acre Minimum asking price: $7,000 plus all cost related to this sale PART OF LOT 20, CONCESSION 10 In the former Township of Calédonia being described as 2061 Mainville Road Lot size: 0.94 acre Minimum asking price: $7,000 plus all cost related to this sale
Sealed bids, clearly marked as to contents and containing a certified cheque or bank draft for 20% of the bid, will be received by the undersigned until 12:00 noon local time, April 23rd, 2012 at the Municipal Office in Casselman. Tenders to be opened in public on the same evening at the Council meeting commencing at 7:00 p.m.
THE NATION MUNICIPALITY c/o Mary McCuaig, Clerk 958 Route 500 West, Casselman, Ontario KOA 1MO Phone: 613 764-5444, extension 222 • Fax: 613 764-3310
PLEASE CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE PROPERTY YOU ARE BIDDING ON.
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