Wall of Remembrance
Donations have been made in honour of the following individuals & organizations.
Alphabetical by last name
Stories of Honour
Learn more about the lives
of the brave men and women
honoured by our living tribute.
Ernest King was a proud Canadian and, at the start of the Second World War, joined the Royal Canadian Artillery (Res.), helping with the training of young recruits here in Vancouver. In addition, he devoted his Summer vacation time for the next five years in Camp Vernon, again helping with training of young recruits.
The job of a motor mechanic was to repair vehicles and machinery on the battlefield. Imagine how creative those mechanics had to be, to keep trucks, jeeps and tanks working, and repairing them at the front, during and after an enemy attack. During his time in Italy, and North Africa especially, Don would see some very heavy fighting, up close.
Sergeant Edison Alexander Smith was rated as superior and he gave his reasons for joining as, “to help with the war.” The desire to be a helper went with him all the way to his death.
Robert George Rogers served 28 years during the Korean War in the RCAF. He enlisted on October 11th, 1946 in Kelowna, B.C and retired on June 21st, 1974.
During his service, Robert was stationed at many bases, including twice over seas – first to France in 1952 and then to Germany in August 1963.
On November 15, 2018, a WWII-crash site research team in Germany reached out to the Edmonton Journal to find the families of Halifax Mk.II bomber of 10 Squadron Royal Air Force, after having recently found their crash site.
Assigned to the Armour Corps, he received basic training in Brampton, became a tank driver at Camp Borden and shipped overseas to Thursley Commons in the UK in 1943.
Ainsworth Dyer was a man who loved his country and died to keep us free. We are all better for having known him. He was a mountain of a man who truly made your heart dance. He ran the race and ran it well.
On May 7, 1917, 26th New Brunswick Battalion landed in France. A month later, they were assigned to field duty, taking an active part in the war. It is noted on Sheldon’s military record that, on September 15, 1918, he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. There’s no record of when, where, or what he did to receive this award.
George Heron enlisted in the Great European War in May of 1915, and died "somewhere near the French/Belgian border” during the Battle of Ypres in 1916 at 52 years old.
Tom Essery was part of the Second Battalion, First Canadian Brigade that was part of this action. It has been generally assumed that he died in the taking of Vimy Ridge, but in fact, his Battalion was mostly held in reserve that day.
Messages of Thanks
Throughout the campaign, we have been fortunate enough to enjoy just some of the heartfelt expressions
of gratitude towards our Canadian Heroes. It is our pleasure to share some of them with you.
On Friday, Sept. 17, we joined 101 year old WWII Veteran Fred Arsenault and his family for the planting of a special tree in his honour at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, home to Fred and the largest Veterans’ care facility in the country. You may remember Mr. Arsenault as the story of his 100th birthday garnered significant media coverage in early 2020 as he wished for 100 birthday cards to mark the occasion of reaching the century mark. He ended up receiving over 90,000! Needless to say he captured the hearts of Canadians and individuals around the world, including ours.
Mary Greyeyes Reid, from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation reserve north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, enlisted in the military after being inspired by her brother David who joined as well. She enlisted in June 1942 at 22 years old. Her enlistment made her the first Indigenous woman to join the forces as a member of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps.
Inspired by our plantings and the story behind Camp X, campaign supporters Sue and Bryan Green decided that they wanted to continue to tell the story of this monumental location in Whitby, Ontario by erecting a statue of Sir William Stephenson.
Thank you so much to our founding partner, the Garden Club of Toronto, for putting together this incredible video highlighting our project.
“Planting the trees first and foremost signifies a very valuable and memorable tribute. In addition, it offers a sanctuary for birds and wildlife, lots of greenery, and a buffer from the 401.”
There is a light, but no tunnel. Rather, there is a field of experience and expertise that stands before us: a gorgeous, newly planted field of dream trees.
This year, the Greenhouse Academy provided over 1,500 trees to the Highway Of Heroes Tree Campaign. The Greenhouse Academy has supported the campaign for a couple of years now, allowing the GHA to connect youth to even greater learning experiences and establish an even greater purpose behind the work that happens inside their facility.
When you give to plant trees on the Highway of Heroes, you not only support our Canadian troops and honour the memory of our war dead, you plant a better tomorrow.
“It makes you grow a little taller when people say ‘Thank you for your service!’”, says Bill, but he tells us it makes him proud to know he has trees growing on his property that serve to honour those that have gone before him and those serving now.
We are grateful to those who have shared the stories of their loved ones.
To share a story for publication
contact us today:
Introducing:
THE HIGHWAY OF HEROES TREE CAMPAIGN
Memorial Giving Program
During your time of loss, our Memorial Giving Program provides a complimentary and customized donation platform to connect those sharing in grief virtually from around the world. In lieu of flowers, those sharing in your grief can give a donation in the name of your loved one and commemorate their life with a living tribute. With every $150 in donations, we will plant a tree as part of the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign in the name of your loved one. For generations, those trees will stand as a memorial, not only to the heroic members of our Canadian Armed Forces, but as a living tribute to those who have been a hero in your life. Your support helps us expand our natural heritage for the benefit of future generations in honour of those we’ve lost.
Connecting in Memoriam
With the restrictions to funeral gatherings, we understand that families are looking for a way to best honour a loved one's legacy. In lieu of traditional expressions of sympathy, our Memorial Giving Program offers families a customized, easy-to-use memorial option.
Since the beginning, each tree we plant stands as a tribute to a Canadian who volunteered for service during times of conflict. And now, for every $150 in donations made in the name of your loved one, a tree will be planted along the Highway of Heroes in honour of the contributions they've made to all those who knew them.
A Living Tribute
Whether they served in our Armed Forces, worked to protect our natural heritage, or were passionate about remembering Canada’s proud military history, it would be our distinct honour to help you pay tribute to your loved one’s memory as part of this living tribute.
Your memorial donation experience includes:
Customized donation page and web address;
Hard copy certificate in the name of your loved one;
Exclusive comment wall where friends and family can leave messages of support.
We are honoured to provide a personalized memorial experience that honours your loved one and connects you with all of those sharing in your grief from around the world.
To learn more about honouring your loved one,
please contact Ali:
Email: ali@hohtribute.ca
Tel: 647.971.4177
Toll Free: 1.844.277.HERO (4376)
*All donations are eligible for a tax receipt.