Given Wednesday’s observance of Remembrance Day, I want to dedicate this article to all those who selflessly have put their lives on hold in service of their community during times of trouble.
My own father is one of those who answered the call to arms and who sacrificed everything as a result. Born into a wealthy family, a star athlete with professional aspirations in mind, and a scholar who completed his degree in business at the age of 18, my father returned from the war broken, both mentally and physically.
An invalid until his death at the age of 55, he never spoke of his experiences except to answer the questions of his little boy. I must admit I never really understood why he did it really, sacrificing so much but I certainly grew to respect his sacrifice and I always will.
I asked him once why he did it and his answer was quite simple and I suspect reflected many of his generation when he simply stated – “It had to be done and so we did it.”
Newmarket and area have long had a proud military history. During the early 19th century, the militia in York County was organized and reorganized on several occasions. Called to duty on many occasions, the first occasion of note was during the War of 1812 when our local militia served under General Brock at the capture of Detroit and Queenston Heights.
Then in 1837, our ancestors were again called to duty. This was most certainly a quite unique event as our local populous served on both sides of the conflict. A new militia regiment, named the Queen’s Rangers was organized that year and many from our area joined.
While local rebels joined William Lyon MacKenzie on his march down Yonge Street toward Toronto, the Queen’s Rangers were charged with the responsibility of responding, confrontin and ultimately dispersing the rebels at Montgomery’s Tavern.
The 12th York Battalion of Infantry, descendants of the Queen’s Rangers and a direct ancestor of the current Queen’s York Rangers, was formed in 1866 with the amalgamation of five local militias: the Aurora Rifle Company organized in 1862; the Lloydtown Infantry Company organized in 1862; the King Infantry Company organized in 1863; the Newmarket Infantry Company organized in 1866; and the Scarborough Rifle Company organized in 1862.
The 12th York Battalion was initially headquartered in Newmarket but when the new drill hall was constructed in 1873, it moved to Aurora. The newly formed Newmarket Company had been one of those called upon to repel the Fenian threat in the summer of 1866, serving on the Niagara frontier.
In 1885, four companies of the 12th Battalion (now the Queen’s York Rangers) were called upon to respond to the North-West Rebellion of Louis Riel under the banner of the York-Simcoe battalion made up of troops from the 12th battalion and the Simcoe Foresters.
When war broke out in South Africa (the Boer War), several local lads joined a force of 1,000 who were sent overseas. It was this force that Private Wesley Haines joined. Private Haines is commemorated with a monument originally located at the foot of Water Street but now part of the memorial located on the south side of D’Arcy and Church Street.
The story of all of the forces and events listed above were covered in a series of articles I wrote for Newmarket Today and they can be accessed at www.newmarkettoday.ca/remember-this if you are interested in a more detailed account of their exploits.
During the First World War, the Rangers remained in Canada as a recruiting regiment, tasked with forming and sending overseas the 20th, 127th, and the 220th battalions.
During the Second World War, the battalion was designated as a training unit for recruits from other regiments. In 1942, the regiment was assigned a role with Canadian Territorial Defense, while continuing their training duties.
By war’s end, the Queen’s York Rangers had supplied 124 officers and over 1,891 service men to the overseas war effort. Many of you will remember the Military Camp, which was located here in Newmarket, which was involved in basic training (later tank training) and which, I have always maintained, changed our Newmarket forever.
Following the war, in 1947, the regiment was given a new name and a new role. They became the 25th Armoured Regiment (Queen’s York Rangers) and were hence equipped with Sherman tanks. This unit has continued in that capacity since.
I should mention that the militias of York County have a long and colourful history indeed. Today’s Queen’s York Rangers, a militia unit made up of citizen-soldiers, is very similar to its predecessor, Roger’s Rangers. They participated in the capture of Louisburg in 1758 and served with General Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham.
During the American Revolution, a battalion dubbed the Queen’s Rangers, commanded by John Graves Simcoe, distinguished themselves and were given designation as the ‘1st American Regiment’, a designation that they still carry today.
It was transformed by Simcoe into an Upper Canada regiment and retained many of its former officers and recruits. One of its tasks was to build Yonge Street, thus opening York County to rapid settlement.
We continue to honour our brave men and women who have served us proudly since our founding. In response to those who have told me that it is primarily focused on white men of British background, I urge you to have a closer look at the listing of those honoured.
New Canadians have responded to our call to arms as have our people of colour, and our Indigenous peoples. This has been true since the birth of this nation and it continues to be true to this day.
My mother took over positions during the Second World War left vacant by the young men of this town who went overseas. These women raised their families and did the jobs left vacant and Canada continued to thrive with them at the helm, a lesson that we still are learning today.
I mentioned that we have a Memorial Park located on D’Arcy, with a cenotaph, dedication plaque, an Honour Roll of those who gave their lives, a commemorative walkway, a Peacekeepers Memorial, and a monument to Pte. W. Haines, who died fighting in the Boer War.
The Haines Monument monument stands nine feet, seven inches above the foundation, granite with a dark bluish tinge in a solid but graceful shape. This is surmounted by a bust of Wesley Haines in fine Sunapee granite that was sculpted by Walter Aylward of Toronto for $350. It is said to be an excellent likeness and an early piece of this distinguished artist’s work, who, after the First World War, was engaged to design and execute the Canadian monument at Vimy Ridge.
It features a well-maintained garden with benches allowing the visitor time to ponder the past and appreciate the present that all these young men and women gifted to our community.
The memorial is sponsored by our local Royal Canadian Branch 426, and the Newmarket Veterans Association. The Veterans have their own First World War memorial adjacent to their meeting hall on Millard just east of Niagara Street. If you visit the Newmarket Cemetery on north Main, you can see the Veterans Plot in commemoration of our fallen heroes.
The text on the Cenotaph reads:
IN MEMORY OF
THE MEN OF NEWMARKET
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN
THE GREAT WAR
1914 - 1918
LORD GIVE US FAITH AND STRENGTH,
THE ROAD TO BUILD.
TO SEE THE PROMISE OF THE DAY FULFILLED.
WHEN WAR SHALL BE NO MORE
AND STRIFE SHALL CEASE.
UPON THE HIGHWAY OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
The Honour Roll reads:
(The Crests of Legion, The Town of Newmarket, The Newmarket Veterans Association)
In memory of Newmarket WW1 Veterans
"Lest We Forget"
G. Archibald, E. Barber, S. Black, H.G. Blackhall, S. Brock, A.E. Brodie, C. Brown, R.R. Brunton, R. Chapman, A.S. Collingwood, E. Cousins, A. Denne, H.G. Douse, W.M. Dunn, A.F. Elvidge, W.G. Elvidge, S. Evans, W.W. Gardner, M. Goring, G. Grainger, R. Harden, R.S. Hillary, F. Laker
E.J. Laker, J. McDonald, W. McTavish, N.C. Mee, W.E. Moffat, J.H. Morgan, C.O. Morrison, H. Penrose, J.A. Proctor, S. Quick, J.A. Ralston, W.E. Riordan, J. Robertson, I.D. Ross, J.E. Rowland, E. Smith, H. Steckley, W.C. Stone, H. Stone, S. Stuffles, A. Trent, E.F. Watson, T. Wood
The Peacekeeping Stone reads:
(Crests of the United Nations, the Coat of Arms of Canada, and of NATO)
Dedicated to all members of the Canadian Forces, who continue to answer Duty's Call
placing them in harm's way in defence of Canada, Freedom, Peace and democracy. Many have paid the supreme sacrifice so that others around the world may experience the freedoms we enjoy in Canada without fear of tyranny or oppression.
Dedicated Newmarket, Ontario. 11 November 2006
Dedication Plaque:
VETERANS
MEMORIAL PARK
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR FREEDOM
WORLD WAR 1 1914-1918
World War 2 1939-1945
KOREAN ACTION
So as we pay tribute to all those who stepped forward to serve their community in our time of need, please remember that you don’t have to be an historian to appreciate the sacrifice that these people made on your behalf, one just needs to be a human being.
Sources: Stories of Newmarket – An Old Ontario Town by Robert Terence Carter; The History of Newmarket by Ethel Trewhell; Articles from the Newmarket Era; Newmarket, - The Heart of York Region by Robert Terence Carter; Assorted Oral History Interviews Conducted by Richard MacLeod; Newmarket’s Memorial Park by Tim Lave
Newmarket resident Richard MacLeod — the History Hound — has been a local historian for more than 40 years. He writes a weekly feature about our town's history in partnership with Newmarket Today, conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, and leads local oral history interviews.
