The Alberni Valley has a deep history with both world wars as well as other wars and conflicts around the world. There are many artifacts on display at the Alberni Valley Museum that give a glimpse into this history.
One such artifact that isn’t always on display is a special memorial list of servicemen from the Second World War. This particular undated list features the royal coat of arms of Canada (1921-57) and proclaims “For King and Country. Members of Knox Presbyterian Church who have volunteered for active service with Canada’s fighting forces.”
There is a list of 33 names including some who were brothers or cousins: there are two Allens, three MacGregors, three McLeans, two Spencers and four Stephens on the list. While the memorial poster is undated, at least one of the names is from a family that didn’t move into the Alberni Valley until 1925, according to the artifact’s provenance.
It used to be common practice for churches to post the names of servicemen called to war, or those who did not return, says Meg Scoffield from the Alberni and District Historical Archives. Scoffield donated the list to the museum from Knox Presbyterian Church after the church closed in 2015.
“It had been hanging on the wall at the church for as long as I could remember,” said Scoffield. When the church closed in 2015 and the building at the corner of Rex and Regina became a private residence, she approached the museum and asked if the memorial would be of interest.
The memorial list of servicemen will be on special display at the Alberni Valley Museum from Nov. 5 – 16, 2024. Because it is a paper document and is several decades old, the list is normally not part of the visible storage in the museum, Smith explained. Documents that must be preserved are stored in a temperature-controlled storage area in part of the museum not accessible to the public.
To see other memorabilia from various world wars, there is a special section upstairs in the museum. Artifacts include medals, part of a Japanese incendiary balloon discovered on Vancouver Island, military clothing and other items.
The Alberni Valley Museum is located inside Echo Centre at 4255 Wallace St. (at 10th Avenue). Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday, open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
