Veterans Initiatives Network, Prince Edward Island

09/15/2025

09/15/2025

September 15 - 22 ,1916. The Battles of the Somme:
Battle of Flers-Courcelette,

On September 15, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division launched successful attacks toward the small French hamlet of Courcelette. The French-Canadian 22nd “Van Doos” Batallion and the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles) captured the objective and then held off seventeen German counterattacks through four days of extreme and bloody close-quarters fighting.The fighting at the Somme came at the cost of 24,000 dead and wounded Canadians. The human toll of the battle remains as controversial today as it was at the time.

Canada lost over 1,000 men on the first day.

Lest We Forget.

09/14/2025

09/14/2025

The following is a statement on behalf of Corporal Brianne Bartmanovich, the officer involved in the collision with the suspect of the mass stabbing incident in Hollow Water First Nation. Corporal Bartmanovich has requested privacy during her recovery and will not be granting interviews at this time.

09/13/2025

Lest we forget 🍁

09/11/2025

On September 23, 1941, a newborn baby girl was abandoned in a blackberry bush on Horsell Common, near London. Her mother had left her there, alone and exposed to the elements. By a stroke of fate, three soldiers from the Royal Canadian Artillery—Gunner Robert C. Griffin, Sergeant Ernest Curtis, and Gunner Alonzo J. Brackett—were nearby when they heard a faint, unusual sound coming from the bushes. Investigating further, they discovered the infant, still alive but struggling to breathe.

The soldiers acted quickly and compassionately. Using a knife, they cut the remainder of the umbilical cord, then wrapped the baby in a white shirt to keep her warm. The war diary of the 8th Field Regiment recorded the moment with simple brevity: “Found a newborn baby in the gun area.” The baby was rushed to a hospital, where she survived against the odds. Later, she was adopted by an English couple who named her Mary. She grew up in Hertfordshire, unaware of the dramatic circumstances of her early life or the men who had saved her.

It wasn’t until 2018, at the age of 79, that Mary saw a photo of her rescue for the first time. Overwhelmed with emotion, she recalled, “It brought tears to my eyes,” and added, “I owe them my life.” Though all three soldiers had passed away by then, in 2019 she was able to connect with Harry Curtis, the son of Sergeant Ernest Curtis. For Mary, the three Canadian soldiers were not just heroes—they were her guardian angels, whose kindness and quick action gave her the gift of life.

09/10/2025

Bravo Zulu! 🍁

09/09/2025

Good morning Canada 🇨🇦 the repatriation of WO Gerorge Hohl,CD will touch down in Trenton at 1730 10 sept 2025 for those wishing to line the highway and show your support to a fallen Canadian Heroe.

Brent schriner chair