BJORKDALE – The Village of Bjorkdale, population 202, held their annual Remembrance Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 7.
The community gathered with around 100 people and the Bjorkdale School had students speak on Remembrance Day and its importance. Each grade performed a poem or story for the residents in attendance.
There was a luncheon that followed sponsored by the Village of Bjorkdale. During the ceremony, two new veteran banners were put up at Memorial Park. This now makes a total of 53 veteran banners that hang around the small communities Memorial Park.
The two new veteran banners that were hung were of Andrew (Andy) Achilles Joseph Courchene and Blanche Guimont/Tremblay.
Courchene was a World War II army veteran. Courchene joined the Canadian Army in early 1943 and took his basic training in Regina. He trained in Dartmouth and Halifax, N.S. While on leave, his unit was shipped overseas and upon his return he was relocated to infantry. Courchene was in infantry training in Camp Shiloh, Man. and said it was very hard.
In October of 1944, he was shipped overseas and served in a clerical position with the First Canadian Army headquarters in England, France, Germany, Holland, and Belgium. When the war ended, Courchene joined the Bjorkdale Legion 8 shortly after arriving there in 1946. It was one of the first Legions to be established.
In 2014 the Government of Canada Commemorated the 75th Anniversary of Canada’s Engagement in the Second World War, and Courchene was honoured with other veterans in a National Tribute to Canada’s Living Second World War Veterans that was hosted by Legion 28 in Humboldt.
Blanche Guimont/Tremblay was born at her parents log farmhouse on July 11, 1918 in Pre St. Marie, 10 minutes south from Bjorkdale. In March of 1943 at the age of 25, Marie-Anne Guimont (Blanche) joined the Canadian women’s army corp.
Guimont/Tremblay served as the lance corporal. The army trained her as a cook in Kitchener, Ont. On June 4, 1944, Guimont/Tremblay departed Halifax and was at sea for 16 days and arrived in Scotland on June 20, 1944. One memory her family was told was on one occasion when the King was inspecting the troops in London, King George commented to Blanche how she has some resemblance to the Queen.
After her discharge in March of 1946 from the Canadian army, she partnered with her parents, Alex and Blanche Guimont in buying and running the Pre Ste. Marie store and post office.
Guimont/Tremblay resided at the Trombley farm and homestead with her husband Oliver, across from the Forest view School for nine years. Blanche and Oliver had eight children, three girls and five boys.
