Three Port Moody residents and a volunteer with the Port Moody Station Museum received national commendations from Veterans Affairs Canada this week.
On Monday, Port Moody's Cameron Black, Sean Black and Svend Hansen as well as Alan Fox of Maple Ridge were honoured in Richmond with commendations for their contributions to veterans.
A former member of 2573 6 Engineer Squad of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps (RCACC), Sean Black has helped at a number of community events at the library and museum as well as at the George Derby Veterans Care Centre. For the last seven years, Black has also been part of the annual military history encampment at Fort Rodd Hill.
Cameron Black, a member of the 2827 B.C. Regiment of the RCACC, has also served at local commemorative events and special veterans' activities. Like Sean Black, he was part of the Canada Day 2015 gathering at the Port Moody Station Museum.
Hansen, a WWII navy veteran, has volunteered hundreds of hours as a guest speaker with Historica Canada’s Memory Project. The 92-year-old man speaks eight times a year to cadets, Rotary clubs and schools around the Lower Mainland. "Mr. Hansen has volunteered significant amounts of his time to providing a first-hand account of the war and passing on stories of the sacrifices, horror and, eventually, peace that he experienced during his service," a ministry statement reads.
And Maple Ridge's Alan Fox, a military historian of the Commonwealth, is also an educator. He has showcased his antique military vehicle at Remembrance Day parades and often speaks in public about a soldier's life. In 2014, Fox led the effort to build the full-size trench at the Port Moody Station Museum.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
