This Remembrance Day, as every other before it, we took time to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made by those who came before us.
We know that great wars affected people and changed their lives forever, including the daily lives of Coquitlam's citizens.
There are tales of love, loss of friendship and a protected industry.
There were 6,225 British Columbians who died in the First World War but the lucky ones - those who returned to their families - had interesting stories to tell.
One such story is told by Reta Stickney Frost in the book Coquitlam: 100 Years. Reta Stickney, as she was known at the time, was in high school when the war began. Her sister, Laura, was corresponding with and sending food parcels to a Canadian prisoner-of-war named Fred Frost. The correspondence continued for quite some time.
Finally, in 1918, the end of the war came, and with it celebrations, parties and fireworks in Coquitlam for Armistice Day. As life settled down, Fred came to B.C. to meet Laura, who had been corresponding with him for so long. But by the time Fred came to meet her, she was already engaged and so it was Reta who kept Fred company. He found work at the Vancouver Golf Club and soon after bought property in the area.
By 1921, the two were married and Reta Stickney became Mrs. Fred Frost.
Not all stories from those living in Coquitlam during war times ended so happily. Gunvor Locken Wenman was a student at Millside school in the late 1930s.
Being an international school, there were students from many different cultural backgrounds. She had many Japanese-Canadian friends but sadly lost touch with them after the 1941 Pearl Harbour attack and xenophobia took over in the form of internment camps.
All of Gunvors' friends and their families were sent to these camps.
This was a dark chapter of Canada's history that affected the lives of the people of Japanese descent living here and those who relied on their friendship, business and labour.
Since Fraser Mills was a protected industry in B.C., very few men who worked were called to service during the Second World War.
This does not mean, however, that men did not volunteer or were pressured to do so. Some of those who did not leave the home front decided to help in other ways so that they could contribute to the war effort.
According to Margaret Bain Bergland, many people joined the Volunteer Workers for Civil Defence Against the German Reich. As a part of this organization, men and women were trained in first-aid and in how to properly use a gas mask.
It was following the Second World War that Coquitlam's population grew with baby boomers and new immigrants, including Byron Alexander and his family. In 1942, he joined the army and met Doreen Thorpe, who would soon become his wife. He brought his young bride home after the war and they settled in Burquitlam. She found the area friendly and they raised their six children on the land given to them by Byron's father as a wedding gift.
We remember and are thankful for the fallen from wars past, let us also remember that despite war not being fought on Canadian soil, wars directly impacted Canadian lives and shaped Canada as a country forever.
Your History is a column in which representatives of the Tri-Cities' heritage groups write about local history. This article was provided by the Coquitlam Heritage Society (www.coquitlamheritage.ca).
