WARBRIDES-L Archives

Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2005-05 > 1116805054


From: Michelle Rusk <>
Subject: Canadian War Bride Envelope
Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 17:37:34 -0600
References: <002401c55586$c56c12a0$b1a2c2cf@1wy6801>


Hi everyone,

My local post office not only got me the 20 covers of the Canadian War Bride envelope I ordered, but when they arrived after I had left for England, they actually sent them to me priority post so that I would be able to distribute them to the relatives while there. The envelopes arrived Thursday the 19th of May in London where I was able to give some of them to individuals who were in the wedding picture on the front - including my mother's 85 year old cousin who had specifically ensured that he came from Australia to England during the time I would be there. When I came home yesterday I had received an email from my local MP's office regarding a statement he made in the House of Commons last week regarding the War Brides and the Envelope. I am repeating a portion of it here as sent to me in a press release (please note that there was a slight error in that he states that my father was in the RCAF when in fact he was a gunner with the Royal Canadian Artillery during the W!
ar, and with the RCAF from 1946 - 1961):

May 19, 2005
"In a speech in the House of Commons, Conservative Member of Parliament Brad Trost (Saskatoon-Humboldt) highlighted the fact that local war bride Olive Cochrane's wedding photo was featured on a special commemorative envelope by Canada Post. The commemorative envelope was unveiled by Canada Post on May 8th to honour Canadian war brides. Trost made the following statement today in the House of Commons:

Mr. Bradley Trost (Saskatoon-Humboldt, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the next time you go to the post office, take a minute to look at the commemorative envelopes on display. Look for the envelope which has a war time photo of a glowing bride and her happy groom.

Lloyd Cochrane served with the RCAF. His war bride, the lovely Olive, worked for the British War Department. The story of Canada's war brides is the story of passing in the midst of tragedy. It is a tale of leaving one's homeland, a tale of hope, of following one's heart.

They experienced culture shock and home sickness in post-war Canada but like many immigrants before and after, Canada's war brides toiled quietly to build a better country.

Like other war brides and their servicemen husbands, Olive and Lloyd Cochrane also left a living legacy through their children and grandchildren, a legacy that endures, a legacy that will not be forgotten.

Let us remember Canada's war brides, a special group of immigrants."

Re the 60th Anniversary activities, I was privileged to encounter a group of Canadian Veterans and their families just after the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace on the 11th of May. They had just been to Holland. We were on a day tour so only got to visit with them briefly but were very glad to have met them. In particular we got to visit with one gentleman who had been a member of the Pictou Rangers. There were special programs on BBC during the entire week of May 8 - 13, as well as special activities at local carveries and pubs. The big celebration in London was on May 9th - which we missed as we arrived that afternoon. Another item that happened during our trip was that while driving through the Honister Pass in the Lake District a vintage Hurricane was flown up the valley as though re-enacting the training that would have occurred when preparing for the Dam Buster raids with the bouncing bomb. It happened so quickly that we had no chance to stop or photo!
graph it, but I will always remember the sight of it superimposed over the side of a fell that was dappled in sun and shadow.

As I walked endless miles around London, as well as jumping on and off double-decker buses, tubes, and trains - I found myself thinking that I was walking where my parent's might have walked, or where many of the War Brides and Service men did. I learned on this trip that the location of the dance where my parents met, was the Lyceum Ball Room - possibly a familiar location to those in London. One of the long walks (and believe me with a cane and MS it was a long-long walk!) was from Westminster to Trafalgar Square, and after the National Gallery, to St. Martin in the Fields, and up to Somerset House - then a bus to Waterloo Station. I hope that some of the familiar names bring back happy memories.

Michelle Rusk
(daughter of Olive and Lloyd Cochrane)



----- Original Message -----
From: "Joan Reichardt" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] CIC War Bride Hearings Televised tomorrow in Ottawa


> Hi, Melynda, Like all the rest of us, I really apreciate all you have done
> and continue to do. Hope to see you on TV!
> I am waiting to do my Passport renewal until I am in Victoria in a couple of
> weeks so that I can go into the office in person.
> Getting the War Bride cover has turned into a challenge for me. I went into
> our local post office, they knew nothing, I convinced them to check their
> catalogues and lo and behold, there it was. I was told they would not be
> getting any in but I could order them and they would call me when they
> arrived. Yesterday got a call "Sorry, no luck, order from this number,
> which I have now done so we shall see!
> I don't know about the rest of you, but I have found the last week or so
> quite emotional with all the VE day coverage. It brings back a lot of
> memories. I wrote a letter to the local paper, which they printed, and then
> was interviewed by one of the reporters (who sounded about 16) but who did a
> good job of putting all I told him into a readable piece. Soon there won't
> be any of us left who have personal memories of that historic day, so if you
> haven't already done so, I encourage you to write it down, or tell it to
> someone who will. In my letter I mentioned that I still have the red, white
> and blue ribbon I wore in my hair on both VE and VJ , but when I went to
> look for it I couldn't find it. I have so much 'stuff' it is not
> surprising, but yesterday I remembered where I had put it so now have it in
> with all the letters and other memorabilia in a large plastic box. I also
> found a statue of Churchill, about 5 or 6 inches tall, copper coloured and
> Made in Canada. I have no idea where or when I got it! Maybe I need to get
> on the Antiques Road Show. Joan
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Melynda Jarratt" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 3:38 PM
> Subject: [WarBrides] CIC War Bride Hearings Televised tomorrow in Ottawa
>
>
> > FYI, I've been asked to come back to Ottawa tomorrow to appear before the
> > committee again to speak on the War Bride issue at 12 o'clock noon in Room
> > 253-D, Centre Block. I see that it's televised - on CPAC? Not sure.... I
> > presume I will get a grilling after the Assistant Deputy Minister and
> Acting
> > Director speak at 11-12.
> >
> > Melynda Jarratt
> > _________________
> >
> > http://www.parl.gc.ca/committee/CommitteePublication.aspx?SourceId=113481
> >
> > Televised
> >
> > 1. Briefing from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada on
> > Canadian War Brides
> >
> > Witnesses
> >
> > 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m
> >
> > Department of Citizenship and Immigration
> >
> > Daniel Jean, Assistant Deputy Minister
> > Policy and Program Development
> >
> >
> > Clark Goodman, Acting Director
> > Citizenship Division, Acting Registrar, Citizenship, Integration Branch
> >
> >
> > 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
> >
> > 2. Study on Citizenship Issues
> >
> > Witnesses
> >
> > Canadian War Brides
> >
> > Melynda Jarratt
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > (In Camera)
> >
> > 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m
> >
> > 3. Study on Citizenship Issues
> >
> >
> > Consideration of Draft Report
> >
> >
> > Melynda Jarratt, BA, MA (History)
> > Diploma in Digital Media and Design
> > Webmaster: http://www.canadianwarbrides.com and
> http://www.project-roots.com
> > Voices of the Left Behind: Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of
> > World War Two is available in English at
> > http://www.project-roots.com/books.html and in Dutch at
> > http://www.uitgeverijpica.nl/index.html?page=achterbleven
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Take charge with a pop-up guard built on patented Microsoft® SmartScreen
> > Technology
> >
> http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=htt
> p://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines
> > Start enjoying all the benefits of MSN® Premium right now and get the
> > first two months FREE*.
> >
> >
> > ==== WARBRIDES Mailing List ====
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Debbie Beavis, Listowner. mailto:
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>

This thread: