The former Village of Lakefield with a population of approximately 2900 is situated in the Kawartha Lakes region northeast of Toronto and is located along the Trent-Severn Waterway. Lakefield was incorporated in 1875 and is a scenic historic town featuring downtown shopping, an art gallery, museum, many restaurants and streets boasting many charming original homes and churches. Lakefield was once home to Colonel Samuel Strickland, Catharine Parr Traill, Susannah Moodie, Isabella Valency Crawford and Margaret Laurence. In 2001 Lakefield was amalgamated and became part of Selwyn Township.
The Lakefield College School founded in 1879 has grown over the years from a boys school to a co-ed school and was proud to have many successful graduates including the King of Spain, and Valdy who is a popular entertainer, among many other notable graduates.
Once home to many canoe manufacturers such as Thomas Gordon, The Brown Boat Company, Strickland Canoe Company and the Lakefield Canoe Company as well as master canoe builder Walter Walker.
This picturesque town offers great fishing and boating as well as miles of rail trails to hike or bike.
You may contact us by filling in the form below. Let us know how you found the website, your thoughts, and how we may improve the website. We are interested in receiving any additional Veteran information and/or photos on all Lakefield and surrounding area Veterans. If you have any additional information on any Veterans covered in this archive, or any Veterans that are not already archived, we would greatly appreciate your submission. If you are interested in having your family member remembered on this website, kindly contact us for details. Thank you for visiting our website. We hope you found it interesting and informative.
Mailing Address –
War Veterans of Lakefield & Area
C/o Lakefield Historical Society
P. O. Box 1215
Lakefield, ON K0L 2H0
Send an E-Mail – to website administrator email
Please support us in raising funds to erect a Permanent Granite monument for all veterans of World war 2 from Lakefield. e-transfers can be sent to:
Michael Chappell lakefieldhistorical@gmail.com
We have currently raised $14000 of our $28,000 goal. Make a Difference DONATE!
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the greatest sites on the internet. I most certainly…
Thanks so much…. photographs have been forwarded for your use.
If you want to send a photo, you can submit it to me chappell@ryerson.ca
viewing a page for Victor Bullock this a.m. and note that a photo in uniform is not available. I have…
Hey! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I’m…
Just wondering –
I presume that the term “war veterans” includes the Cold War- however I am not sure.. I i
I know that Eugene Payne who was killed in a mid air collision in the late 1950s was based in Baden Soellingen Germany. His name is on the Lakefield cenotaph.
He and my husband, Terry Kuch, were squadron buddies during their time at 4 Fighter Wing in Germany. They were both attached to 444 Squadron
There are several other Sabre pilots from this area that were stationed on bases in Germany or France during the Cold War. I think that the last time they were together was for the special dedication of the F86 Sabre jet on the pedestal at Riverside Park in Peterborough.
Thanks for “listening” Lenore Kuch
Just wondering? Many thanks Lenore Kuch .
Thanks for writing Lenore,
Yes Veterans include Cold war veterans as well, and all veterans living and dead. We are moving through the lists slowly as for each veteran we must obtain their military service records as well as personal information and photos from the family. I just do the posting online, but two board members work behind the scenes to write the information in the form you eventually see it, and I know their focus on quality and completeness takes time. If you have any photos of your husband we would be happy to include them in any future posting as we complete the work.
Mike Chappell
Webmaster
Hello
I have a question concerning Edward Blomfield.
Your article mentions that, according to his parents, he attended Lakefield Preparatory School. If you have any information on what years he attended the school and/or any additional information about his time there, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks for your time
Jim DeWolf
I am looking for information on my granduncles WW1
William Johnson
Parents: Isaac Johnson and Sarah Spencer
Born: March 25 1876 (Curve Lake)
Enlisted: January 15 1916
Died: about 1916
Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery near Bologne France
Alfred Coppaway 93 Battalion
Parents: Richard Coppaway Sarah Spencer
Born: May 24 1872 (Curve Lake)
Enlisted: March 28 1916
Died: Unknown
I am also looking for information on my father and uncle WW1:
Joshua Johnson
Parents: Isaac Johnson Ruth Chase
Born: July 25 1916 (Curve Lake)
Enlisted: 1939 Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment Peterborough Ontario C.72237
Died: December 17 1973
Dallas Johnson
Parents:Isaac Johnson Ruth Chase
Born: 1912 (Curve Lake)
Enlisted 1939 Canadian Scottish Peterborough Ontario C.7223
Died Unknown
I read the histories of George Hoggarth in the WW 1 (Burleigh Falls WW1) his son Andrew (WW11) and my granduncle, Joshua Johnson (WW1) and have read the history that your site has provided. It is very moving. I hope that you can help with information on the other members of my family.
Thank you,
John F Johnson
Could you please tell me if you are open. I am with the Lindsay legion and we have published a book dealing with the Canadian Railway Troops in WWI. We published the book together with the Jones Family. It is the dairy of major Finlay. He was born in Tory Hill. The Jones family told us to get in touch with local museums and historical societies. I would like to drop off a copy of the book.
Thank you so much.
Claus
https://waterfallmagazine.com
I like it whenever people come together and share ideas. Great website,
continue the good work!
I wonder if you could add a WW1 soldier to your Lakefield list? He was born in Lakefield Oct. 14, 1877. He joined the 86th Machine Gun Battalion in Hamilton and served overseas. His name was (Epaphroditus) William James Bell. His service records can be viewed here: https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B0625-S043 His father George was born in the USA and was one of the early Black settlers to Lakefield. George’s son William married Gertrude Holland of Hamilton and moved to Hamilton to work in her uncle’s hay and feed business. George and his wife Bridget remained in the Peterborough area until their deaths in 1898 and 1888 respectively.
Pte William James Bell was somewhat of a rarity; a Black soldier in a regular CEF Battalion. I have pictures of Bell and the 86th Machine Gun Battalion if you would wish to have them. Bell suffered some debilitating war injuries and died in Christie Hospital in Toronto in 1944. His offspring were both interesting and accomplished. You can read about some of them and their close relationship to the Hon Lincoln Alexander in this newspaper article: https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2012/10/26/linc-the-family-man.html
I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great posts.
A note about Percy Bertrand: Your site shows him as having signed up with the 43rd Battalion (Cameron Highlanders of Canada) but his Attestation Paper clearly shows that he signed up with the 57th Regiment, 93rd Battalion.
You are technically correct, almost all Peterborough enlisted soldiers were initially part of the 93rd Battalion. Percy never fought under the 93rd, and like many other soldiers was transferred to another battalion when he disembarked for France.
The 93rd Battalion (Peterborough), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Great War Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 93rd Battalion was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 15 July 1916 where the battalion provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 6 October 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the 39th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion disbanded on 21 May 1917.
For this reason we listed his active service in the way we have.
Hey! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to
give it a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Fantastic blog and wonderful design.
viewing a page for Victor Bullock this a.m. and note that a photo in uniform is not available. I have that photo… where can I submit it please.
Betty (Webster) Drain
Victor was a relative on my mother’s side of the family.
If you want to send a photo, you can submit it to me chappell@ryerson.ca
Thanks so much…. photographs have been forwarded for your use.
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the greatest sites on the internet.
I most certainly will highly recommend this web site!