Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 05, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press monday june 5, 1978 City news 2nd class mail registration number 0286 St. James anglican to become historic site 125-year-old Church getting fnew9 status St. James anglican Church the oldest standing Church building , will officially become a provincial historic site on Sun Day june 25. The 125-year-old Hen Oak log Structure standing across Portage Avenue from Polo Park was completed in 1853 and was used continuously until the new St. James anglican at 195 collegiate Street opened its doors nov. Its old cemetery Conse crated in 1856, is the final resting place of some of the most illustrious names of St. James Parish Halletts burkes Chapmans tates bruces. Notables officiating at the june 25 ceremony will in clude most reverend Eward Scott primate of the anglican Church of Canada my Dan Mckenzie la George Minaker mayor Robert Steen and councillor Eldon Ross. The provincial govern Ament will produce a Bro Chure describing the historic site and place a plaque at the Tilehurst Street Entrance Gate. Reverend p. W. L. Smith the Church s eleventh Rector said in an interview the prov Ince was approached about two years ago to make the Church an historic site and last november the historic resources Branch of the tour ism recreation and cultural affairs department agreed. St. James anglican Church on Portage Avenue we Don t make any Money out of it except when the time comes to make re pairs we be got some clout. We go and up to now repairs have been made out of a separate fund established for that Pur pose. Money in the fund will be used to give the outside clipboards a fresh coat of White paint before the 25th. The Church seats about 150 and is used for services 10 across from Polo Park was completed in 1853 and used ners or those with family sundays each summer be ginning the last sunday in june plus the occasional funeral and he occasional Smith said. Burial in the old Church Yard is restricted to Parushio members already buried there. The same plot can be used again after 50 years when the body of the original occupant has returned to the dust Hen Oak logs Are on 125 year old Church used for services 10 sundays each summer. Staff photos continuously until 1922. Whence it came. As a Canada Centennial project in 1967, the City of St. James which took its name from the Church and the Par ish restored the old building and it was rededicated june 21 that year. One thing the restorers did was strip the original Plas Ter quite the fashionable Interior decoration in the 1850s, from the log Walls. Historians shudder at the thought but people like the looks of the Smith said. The logs Are original but much of the rest of the Interi or including the flooring is not. The original altar disappeared and so a new one was built in 1967. The pulpit was dedicated in october 1911. The brass lectern was brought in from somewhere Down because no one was using it there Smith said. The Church property today is what remains of an Assini Boine River lot originally measuring 18 chains 1188 feet wide by two Miles Long the rest being sold off Over the years in order so legend has it to pay the Rector s living. The 284.4 acres were on a provisional land Grant from the Hudson s Bay company to settlers military pension ers and retired Hudson s Bay employees. Four second world War soldiers reunited looking Over the shoulders of had Brand and mrs. Harden Teft to right Gibb Baker and Hutton. Toey Are going Over of photos rapes in Hotton by Ritchie Gage five Young canadians tank crewmen with the fort Garry horse 10th armoured regi ment were part of the june 6, 1944, a Day Allied invasion of Europe on the beaches of Normandy France. For the first time since the invasion 34 years ago four of them met Here during the weekend As part of a regimental reunion of More than 100 former soldiers in Brandon on the weekend. On sunday four of the former tank Crew had dinner at the Home of their former commander Faitie Hutton of 381 wests Wod drive suite 73, for a goodbye meal before going to Homes in different parts of the country for which they fought and As old soldiers will do attempts to get events in order Are the usual topic of conversation. As former commander Hutton recalled it was on june 9, the third Day of the invasion that their tank was hit from behind by a 88 millimetre Shell and the assistant Driver Clifford Hayden was killed instantly. The four others commander Hutton Driver Bob Gibb. Wireless operator c. C. Baker and wireless gunner Peter Hildebrand were All injured and were evacuated to England for treatment Gibb was in Hospital for almost a year i England and Canada. Hildebrand Baker and Hutton All returned to Active duty in Europe with different task Crews. Gibb. Now chief fire inspector Savost Ste. Marie out and Baker a carpentry Foreman in Calgary. Seen each other since the of Ivawn. They were joined by Ada Haydes Mother Cuffori mrs. Hayden had five sons and daughters. Her five sons All went to War and Only Clifford did t return. We re All trying to put a few of the pieces together. We All remember something differ said Gibb who bears facial scars from the hit on the tank. Hutton manager of a Winnipeg dry clean ing shop said not much was remembered about getting out of the tank. We were one of six amphibious tanks left from a unit of 15. We got hit Good from behind and the tank was burning. We All got out. We were All he said. They were a closely knit group. War makes people that Way. When one of the soldiers got a parcel with goods from Home they All shared it said Gibb. Gibb said they Don t dwell on the War but it s something they Don t forget Gibb and Hutton say they feel that As Long As there is one nation in the world that wants to fight then every nation will be armed. When old soldiers get together there Are Long strategy discussions about who won the War. We sit around and try and Tell each other which division won the said Hil Debrand with a smile. He is now a supervisor with a Gas company in Gretna man., the town he left to go to War. Nuti ii Saru Normandy in 1974 on the 30th anniversary of the invasion. It s a difficult thing to prepare for a War. We prepared when we first West he tin said you never knew when you would get hit we were fortunate to get ;