Welcome to the Heroes’ Hall of Honour.
Here we celebrate heroes from countries all over the world.
Whether you have come to pay your respects to the heroes in the Heroes’ Hall of Honour or to have a friend or loved one
join these esteemed individuals, I thank you on their behalf for stopping by.
The Heroes’ Hall of Honour is a place to pay tribute to men and women of the armed forces and first responders,
those who have chosen a life of service in the past or present.
Your hero may be living or no longer alive.
I invite you to share a photo and a story or bio so those you hold dear can be celebrated and revered.
- Photo" >
Arthur John Vatcher 1902-1942 Merchant Navy S.S. Rose Castle torpedoed Nov. 2, 1942 off coast of Bell Island, Newfoundland
My father-in-law, Ed Fraser, grew up in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. He was a brave and adventurous youth who at the age of 14, ran away to join the Merchant Navy. At 16 he joined the RCN, serving on Corvettes on the Triangle Run during WWII. As with others who endure the hardships of war first hand, Ed was hesitant to talk of his experiences. When pressed however, he would, on occasion speak of some of the less stressful times. He spoke of being on deck in freezing gales, tethered to the rail in order to break with axes, the ice that would form on all the decking. If not removed, this caused the ship to become top heavy which in turn would lead to its capsizing. On one such mission he was horrified to see a fellow crewmember washed overboard by a large breaking wave. This was followed , to his amazement, by that same crewman being washed back onboard by the next large wave!
After the war Ed stayed in the Navy as a PTI, traveling the world, honing his athletic skills and becoming a devoted family man. He was an exceptional athlete whose skill traversed many disciplines.
On retirement after 28 years in the RCN, he became Director of Residences for the School for the Blind, Hfx. His foresight and courage helped break down barriers there both literally and figuratively. He and his wife, Margaret, also became Directors of Rainbow Haven Camp in Cow Bay. They devoted many summers to showering their special love on the children who attended there.
Ed's courage and integrity shone through in every aspect of his life, no less so in the last years of his life when, confined to a wheelchair and unable to fully articulate his thoughts, he still managed a frequent "I love you!". His glowing example of a positive attitude is on occasion exhibited in the behavior of his grandchildren who were so blessed to have him in their early lives.
Ed Fraser exemplified the true meaning of the word HERO. "Sailing Home"
My dad was assigned, the only Canadian, with six English crewmen aboard a Sterling aircraft bomber early in 1942. At 23 he was referred to as "the old man" of the crew. A bond was formed among these seven men that would last their lifetimes.
On their third mission the fully loaded bomber caught fire after being struck by lightning, several miles out over the English Channel. Ken Cartland, the pilot, at 5 feet seven inches in height often had to stand up in order to maintain dominance of the unruly controls. The crew credits him for saving their lives by managing to manoeuver the burning plane back over British soil where he was able to crash-land. Although suffering various injuries, those able to walk refused to leave without the rest of the crew. They all stayed until those who were unable to escape of their own accord were rescued and assisted away from the imminent catastrophe. They had only reached a few yard's distance from the plane when the bombs blew. Miraculously, although they could see total destruction all around them , the crew was completely unharmed by the blast. Dad later learned that in that situation there is a "doughnut of safety", since the explosion is first directed upwards before extending back down to obliterate all in its path. The crew was in this circle of untouched territory. One of the crew died of his injuries, but the other six survived. Dad remained in hospital in England for several months but was reunited with his wife, ( and a new family member, my oldest brother, who was born a few months after Dad was sent overseas) in January, 1943.
Dad is my hero. Always a gentleman, he set an example throughout his life of what it means to be kind, fair and fun.
William is my dad, he was born May 7th 1918 at Ferryland Newfoundland. He joined the British Royal Navy when the call came out from Britain in October 1939. He served at Scappa Flow Scotland until 1943 when he was medically discharged. Dad still lives at his home at Renews Newfoundland and is fairly active at the age of 96 yrs. He has nine children all living and so very proud of our dad. Dad served his country well and continued to be a servant to his community as a faithful volunteer in many organizations during his life time.
Generous, loving, kind-hearted, modest, genuine, loyal were all words to describe Ray Dupuis, at his funeral in the spring of 2006.
Patriotic, devoting his life to serving his country - first in the Armed Forces, then as a public servant in PEI/ON working for the Canada Revenue Agency. This devotion led to military postings across Canada at Bases in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island - as well as a peacekeeping mission in Cyprus.
He was a family man first and foremost, and a devoted father to Lisa, Jennifer and Michael. What follows is a beautiful depiction of the man Ray, was through the eyes of his children:
“Our Dad gave us all the things a Dad should give his children, the most important thing he did was give us an example of how to live a good life. If we can be as good a spouse, as good a parent, as good a friend, as good a person our Dad was, he'll have every reason to be proud."
Born April 30, 1950 in Sudbury, ON
1964 – moved to Windsor, ON
1969 – began basic training, CFB Cornwallis, NS > CFB Borden, ON, trades training
1970 – first posting, Ottawa, ON, Accounting Clerk
1972 – married Nancy McKenzie
May 1st, 1973 – our first daughter was born, Lisa Marie Dupuis
1974 – promoted to Corporal, posted to CFS Lowther, Northern ON
July 31st, 1975 – the second addition to the family, Jennifer Lynn Dupuis, arrived
1976 - CFB Petawawa, Ontario, was promoted to Master Corporal in the spring of 1978 and in the fall of the same year, was sent to Cyprus on a peacekeeping mission with the 8th Canadian Hussars Regiment
June 28th, 1979 – Our son, Michael Raymond Dupuis, was born
1981 – posting to CFS Baldy Hughes, BC
1985 – posting to Ottawa, ON, with a promotion to Sergeant
1990 – posting to Calgary, AB
1991 – Charlottetown, PEI
1998 – Ottawa, ON
"Sadly missed along life’s way
Quietly remembered every day
Cherished memories of times together
Hold you in our hearts forever"
– Nancy Dupuis
