top of page
  • Writer's pictureCraig Baird

When The Governor General Came To Vermilion


The Governor General inspecting the scouts in Vermilion. Photo submitted

During the Second World War, Vermilion went above and beyond when it came to offering assistance. As a reward, Viscount Alexander, the Governor General of Canada, made his only visit to an Alberta town when he came to Vermilion on May 25, 1948 to dedicate the new $16,000 Canadian Legion. While in the community, he also held an investiture of navy and army personnel, as well as the local Boy Scouts.

During his visit, which had started in Saskatoon earlier in the day where the Governor General flew in to that city. Soon after, he left on an RCAF DC 3 that landed at Vermilion airfield at 11 a.m. during a very hot day.

On hand with the Governor General was the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, reserve army supply company, as well as the aforementioned Boy Scouts, who were joined by the Sea Cadets and the Girl Guides.

The Governor General then took time to speak with veterans and with older men who had served in the first world war.

After this brief stop, the Governor General travelled by buckboard to the farm grounds along with four cowboys who escorted him throughout the community.

The Governor General would state that he was proud of the Vermilion area for its help during the war years. He also thanked the district for sending fine soldiers to the ranks of the Canadian army and other services. In addition, he thanked the citizens for their assistance to the war through the sending of wheat and grains for soldiers overseas. In all, the district had sent 3.225 million bushels of grain overseas to feed the British and Commonwealth forces.

The Governor General praised the residents for also purchasing war bonds to fund the war effort. In all, the residents of Vermilion purchased $1.3 million worth of war bonds.

A large reception was held for the Governor General in Vermilion, which included a visit from Premier Ernest Manning, who also praised the war effort and Vermilion for being a progressive community.

I put out a history magazine that highlights many aspects of Canadian history. It is free and is delivered to your inbox. E-mail me to subscribe at craig@canadaehx.com

Support the column and my history show at www.patreon.com/canadaehx

Listen to my podcast Canadian History Ehx on all podcast platforms or at www.canadaehx.ca




22 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

The race to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become more intense than ever. Companies and even countries are investing heavily in AI research and development, leading t

Once again, I would like to dive back into the time machine and look at what was going on in Vermilion back in the past, in a particular month. This week, we are going to see what was going on in Verm

The magic of spring This past weekend my grandson Kayden arrived for another memorable visit. Together we ate things that weren’t good for us, frolicked with newborn calves, and stayed up far too late

bottom of page