Author: Chris Dearlove

2022 AGM – Virtual Registration

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

The Annual General Meeting of the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada will be held on Tuesday, August 30 at 4:30 pm.

This year’s AGM will use a hybrid format, and members can either participate in person at the Fort Henry Great Hall (formerly called the Discovery Centre) or on-line via Zoom.

Any member in good standing who wishes to attend virtually can sign up using this Google form – we’ll then e-mail you the Zoom link, agenda and reports in advance of the meeting.

Please sign up for the AGM by Sunday, August 28 so we have time to send you all of the materials in a timely fashion.

Sunset Ceremonies Are Back!

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

Fort Henry has just announced that Sunset Ceremonies are back!  The Fort Henry Guard will do two shows to close out the 2022 season:  Wednesday, August 24, and Wednesday, August 31.

Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to make this possible over the past three months – to the Seniors and Junior NCO’s for their leadership and teaching, and to the many rookies who have gone from learning basic foot drill to doing a complete show in such a short time. 

We hope many former members will be there to cheer on this year’s Guard.  Tickets are now on sale, and can be purchased here.

Notice of AGM – August 30, 2022

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

The Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 30 at 4:30 pm.  This year’s AGM will use a hybrid format, and members can either participate in person at the Fort Henry Great Hall (formerly called the Discovery Centre) or on-line.  For those wishing to join us virtually, more information about registration will be shared shortly.

In the meantime, the Board nominations report can be found here.

Bereavement – Walter Gulka, FHG 171

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

Walter William Gulka, FHG 171, was a member of the 1949 Fort Henry Guard for only one year. I had talked him into joining because of his tremendous musical talent and thought he could train more buglers and fifers, but the Director was more focused on a fife band. He left the Guard after the one season for a better paying summer job.

Walt was born on September 18, 1931 in Toronto and his family moved to Kingston in 1943. He joined the Grade 8 class at Rideau Public School , went to KCVI and then to the University of Toronto where he was also the conductor of the U of T Marching Band. He had an exceptionally successful career as an educator and as a professional musician. He was a principal at several Toronto high schools before moving to Thunder Bay in 1970 where his wife Lillian’s family was from. He was principal at several high schools there as well.

During the 1950’s and 60’s he played trombone professionally with many of the leading dance bands in Muskoka and Toronto, playing with some of the top entertainers of the era. In Thunder Bay he spent 44 years with the Thunder Bay Symphony, retiring at age 80.

He moved to an Ottawa retirement residence in 2021 to be closer to his family there and passed away on May 29, 2022. He is survived by his daughters Lianne, Leslie and Larissa, grandson Marko, several nieces and nephews and sons-in-law, as well as his sister and brother-in-law Joanne and Roger Campbell. Lillian passed away in 2011.

It was written about Walt that as much as he embraced life, life certainly embraced him.

By Doug Thompson, FHG 154

Bereavement – Dr. Cameron Stevenson, FHG 167

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

Dr. Cameron M. Stevenson, FHG 167, died peacefully at Kingston General Hospital on June 15, 2022 after a brief illness, with his children at his side.

Cam joined the Guard in 1949. He was born in Picton but grew up in Kingston, attended KCVI and then Queen’s Faculty of Medicine where he graduated in 1955. He was appointed Guard Captain in 1951 but left the Guard after 1953 for summer work in hospitals related to his medical studies. He established a Family Practice in Kingston and later pursued his interest in mental health and was certified in Psychiatry in 1963. In 1977 he was appointed Medical Director of the Kingston Psychiatric Hospital. He retired in 1989 and continued with a private practice until recently.

Cam is survived by his sister Frances Crowe, who was married to FHG 260 Gary Crowe, children Brian, John, Carol and Janet, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Cam loved to golf, worked out at the gym and fitness centre at Queen’s, was a member of the KCVI Old Boys Coffee Club and attended Guard Club reunions, especially with his life-long friends, Doug Thompson FHG 154 and Bill Patterson, FHG 211, the last one being in 2018.

We extend our condolences to Cam’s family and friends, and offer thanks to Doug Thompson and Bill Patterson for sharing this.

The Guardsman – June 2022

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

The latest edition of The Guardsman is now available for FHGCC members.  The June issue includes updates from Guard Club president Alex McLean and Guard Captain Micheal Valiquette, the nominations report for the upcoming AGM, and the first in a series of stories by members of the Board – first up is John Grenville (FHG 705), our long-time Secretary-Treasurer. 

The newsletter, and more than 80 issues of The Guardsman, can be found in the Members section.

Update on the Guard & Summer 2022

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

The Fort Henry Guard is back! The Drill Squad, Drums, and Domestic interpreter complements are at fuller numbers this year after two years of hiatus. The passion, dedication, discipline, and devotion to living history, drill, and music we all know and share is rampant and ever-present with the returned FHG of 2022.

The FHG needs your support now more than ever. Show the FHG your support by planning a visit to Fort Henry this summer. Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane, cheer on the Guard during parades and participate in living history programming. Also consider joining the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada (FHGCC) if you’re not yet a member. The annual membership fee is a very reasonable rate and goes towards supporting the Fort Henry Guard. Head to our membership page for more information and to sign up. 

The FHGCC has once again secured a discounted Fort Henry admission rate of $10.00 + HST for Day Programming (10:00 am to 5:00 pm) for all FHGCC members in good standing. Club members simply show proof of membership at the Ticket Booth when purchasing their ticket to enjoy the discounted rate. This proof of membership can be shown as the member’s online FHGCC Member Page on your mobile device or as a print-off.

While Sunset Ceremonies will not be happening this July, I’m pleased to say that the Fort Henry Tattoo is returning on Saturday, August 20. Featuring guest pipe and brass bands from across Ontario, this year the Fort Henry Guard Drums, Drill Squad, and Artillery subunits will take a more prominent role in the event. They will perform their drill sequences and the Guard would love to have as many FHG alumni cheering them on! So be sure to get the Tattoo in your calendar and head here to book your tickets now!

….and be sure to keep an eye out later this summer for news about Sunset Ceremonies as there may be more to announce at a later date!

Thanks for your continued support. Et Nos Meremur
Alex McLean
President
Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada

FHGCC Board Members and Organizational Structure

Posted on by Chris Dearlove

Tom Little, FHG 593, has put together a very helpful outline of the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada’s organizational structure.  It includes a list of the Club’s Officers, Board members, and the various committees (including the Executive Committee, Reunion Committee, Awards Committee, and the newly formed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee).

A copy of the updated structure is below, and it can also be found on the website’s Members section, which also includes a number of additional useful documents (list of Guard numbers, Club Bylaws and Code of Conduct, etc).