Every year in November, citizens in countries from around the world, including Canada, wear remembrance poppies to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice in war, but Bradford residents might notice the poppy featured year round on some street signs.
That’s because there are more than 50 streets in Bradford named after local veterans who served throughout history, and the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library currently has a display in the cafe featuring 23 of them.
The library’s archives also provides access to the book ‘Bradford Veterans’ Street Names’ which includes photos and biographical information about 56 local veterans and their heroic contributions, in commemoration of whom streets have been named.
Here are just four examples from the book to keep in mind as Remembrance Day approaches this Saturday, Nov. 11:
Brian Collier Way
Running between the library and the BWG Leisure Centre, Brian Collier Way was named in honour of Pte. Brian James Collier who was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on foot patrol in Panjwa’i District close to Kandahar City in Afghanistan.
Collier was born on July 6, 1986 in Toronto to James Edward and Carol L. Collier who raised him and his siblings in Bradford.
According to the Canadian Military Engineers Association, Collier worked for a while after graduating from Bradford District High School before enlisting in Ottawa on Dec. 7, 2007.
Collier was a member of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alta., and was posted to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in November 2008 after completing his basic combat engineering training at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
After Collier’s body was returned to Canada at Canadian Forces Base Trenton it was transported along Highway 401 — including the portion between Glen Miller Road in Trenton and Keele Street in Toronto known as the Highway of Heroes — to Bradford where his funeral was held at the Holy Martyrs of Japan Catholic Church.
Collier is buried in the Holy Martyrs Cemetery in Bradford.
Vipond Way
Part of the newer subdivision to the north of Line 8, Vipond Way was named in honour of Lt. Milton Cameron Vipond, who gave his life in peacekeeping service on March 18, 1955, in Busan, South Korea, following the Korean War of 1950-53.
Vipond was born on April 24, 1924 in Kenora, Ont., to Joseph Howard Cameron and Laura Margaret (Eastman) Vipond, and enlisted for service in the Second World War alongside his brother Dalton, who served as a pilot officer and was killed in action in 1942.
Vipond was part of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and received the 1939-1945 Star, the War Medal 1939-45, and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp for his role in the conflict.
After the war, Vipond earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Bishop’s College and entered his first year of study for a degree in medicine, before his military career continued with the Reserve Force in Cornwall, Ont., and he served with the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade in Germany.
On Nov. 17, 1951, Vipond married Helen Brown, R.N. (the only daughter of deputy-reeve Thomas Brown of West Gwillimbury) at Trinity Anglican Church, in Bradford.
The couple lived in Grand Bend where Vipond was stationed, before he was called away to serve for a year in Korea and was unable to see the birth of his daughter, Helen Lorraine, on Sept. 20, 1954.
His family was preparing for his homecoming in April when they received the news of his death.
Vipond is buried in the United Nations Cemetery in Busan, Korea, and was posthumously awarded the Korean Medal and the United Nations Defence Medal.
A stained glass window depicting ‘The Dove of Peace’ was placed in the Trinity Anglican Church in memory of Vipond.
Slack Street
Located just off of Langford Boulevard south of Holland Street West, Slack Street is named in honour of Flight Sgt. Kenneth Earl Clifford Slack who died on May 9, 1945, during the Second World War while trying to save a drowning German soldier as he was being held in Germany as a prisoner of war.
Slack was born on Aug. 4, 1923, in Schomberg to William Slack of Tecumseth and Lottie “Ida” Whiteside of Cookstown who had met in Newton Robinson.
Slack enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in August 1941 and by the time he was 20, Slack completed training as a leading aircraftsman before becoming an air gunner in Germany.
He was known as a bit of a rebel who broke officer rules quite a few times in his service, but he was also noted for his good character.
After his promotion to Flight Sergeant, Slack left for the U.K. in April, 1944 and was taken as a prisoner of war in November.
Slack was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. He is recognized in Surrey, England on the Runnymede Memorial, but his body was not found.
Archer Avenue
Located off Northgate Drive, south of Fletcher Street, Archer Avenue is named in honour of Sgt. Matthew Humphrey Archer, who was killed on Aug. 17, 1917, during the First World War in Lens, France due to a direct hit from a shell.
Archer was born on Dec. 24, 1896, in Bradford to Thomas and Jennie May Archer who bought part of the McKay farmstead in Bradford and stayed in the area for decades.
Archer was living in Toronto when he enlisted in the 201st Battalion, a unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, on May 8, 1916.
After the unit was disbanded Archer was transferred to the 170th Battalion and then to the 75th Battalion under the 4th Canadian Division.
Soldier transfers were common in order to put men where they were most needed, and in Archer’s case, his battalion was needed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.
In April 1917, Archer received a Military Medal for his bravery during this battle because he continued to fire his Lewis gun for 48 hours to provide cover for the injured soldiers in his company.
He is buried in the nearby Pas-de-Calais Cemetery.
For more information about Remembrance Day events and programming at the library, check Natasha’s Nook.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 521 will be holding their annual Remembrance Day parade on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., at Collings Avenue and Holland Street West and continuing east along Holland Street to Bingham Street and Back Street towards the Orville Hand branch, where a moment of silence will be observed, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony.
