MINTO – The fifth annual Harriston Superior Monuments Headstone Hunt will return this fall.
The event is set to kick off on Sept. 23 and runs until 5pm on Oct. 21.
Organizer John McVicar notes one change from last year’s event is that instead of using Wingham and Mount Forest cemeteries along with three in Minto, hunters will gather information from some of the cemeteries in Mapleton.
Entry forms will again be available at a number of retailers, libraries and legions, and also on the Facebook page for Harriston Superior Monuments. Entries must be submitted as hard copies to Harriston Superior Monuments at 60 Mill Street by 5pm on Thurs. Oct. 21.
The hunt will formally conclude at noon on Sunday, Oct. 24 at the Harriston auditorium with Jack Callowhill drawing for the cash prizes.
Callowhill is one of three surviving Canadian members of the well decorated Devil’s Brigad, McVicar explained in a letter to Minto council received at the July 13 meeting.
Callowhill will also be at the Oct. 24 event in connection with a large display presented by Don Shelton of Kitchener.
“Don is the VP of the Canadian association of the FSSF, otherwise known in Hollywood as The Devil’s Brigade,” said McVicar, referencing a movie of the same name.
History on display
“The aud will be a hive of activity on the 24th for students and fans of Canadian World War ll history. Walls and tables will be filled with hundreds of photos and information about aspects of the war Canadians rarely see,” McVicar stated.
From 10am until 2pm, visitors will be guided by arrows past a multitude of exhibits, including:
– local 100th Anti-Aircraft Battery;
– the Canadian Merchant Navy;
– Canadian women in military service;
– Canadian First Nations service personnel;
– Canadian Jewish service personnel;
– the stories of war brides in southwestern Ontario;
– the war in the Gulf of St. Lawrence;
– the Devil’s Brigade (the youngest member was from this area and a decorated survivor will be at the Oct. 24 gathering); and
– why do the Dutch keep sending us so many flowers?
ln the refreshment area, visitors will be able to complete crossword puzzles and other activities about what they’ve learned, before following the arrows to the exit.
Both the hunt and the celebration will be registered Culture Days events. McVicar notes.
Mayor George Bridge commented the event will provide a “really interesting” reflection on “some of the history of World War Two.”
