Here is a copy of an email I have sent to the Prime Minister, I am sending a copy to you on the chance you may know someone that can help this man. For years I have thought someone should create a traveling World War II Memorial and get it to the people across Canada that may never have the opportunity to travel to Ottawa and go to the museum. I would do it myself, I have the ability to take on a project of this magnitude, but not the funds to bring this to fruition.
Please forward this to anyone you think may be able to keep this remarkable collection in one piece so that this valuable part of Canadian history remain intact. SHARE THIS WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
Thank You
Joe Wilson
From: Attitude & Ideas Inc. [mailto:ani@ody.ca]
Sent: February-10-11 3:34 PM
To: 'pm@pm.gc.ca'
Cc: 'valerf1@parl.gc.ca'; 'p.guerin@orange.fr'; 'kyum@globeandmail.com'; 'city@thestar.ca'; 'torsun.citydesk@sunmedia.ca'; 'info@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca'; 'gnott@ottawacitizen.com'; 'information@vac-acc.gc.ca'
Subject: Losing some Canadian history
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
It has recently been brought to my attention that we Canadians are about to lose some of our Canadian Military History in France. While doing my daily social networking for my business, on the facebook page Canada Remembers which has over 450,000 followers I came across a person named Philippe Guerin from Normandy France (p.guerin@orange.fr). Mr. Guerin just started a facebook group page called Normandy 1944 Canadian Museum in which in his own words he did because “the idea is to show Canadians what they will not be able to visit when visiting Normandy in the future, as the project of such a museum is nearly dead... Enjoy the visit! I will add many more pictures of the collection, by themespictures of the collection, by themes”. Mr. Guerin from his postings has an amazing collection of Canadian Military artifacts (I highly recommend you peruse his postings to get a clear understanding of the significance of his collection). Mr. Guerin is readily available to assist Canadians that are looking for closure for lost World War II family members. As stated here in one of his postings “I live 10mn away from the Abbay d'Ardennes and 15mn away from the Canadian cemetery, in case you need pictures of the grave, let me know”. On another “My parents and I have been welcoming Canadian vets since 1973, we always gave them everything they needed: room, food, drinks, drives, fun,... for NO charge”. My parents are now old, I am now disabled of my left hand, and believe me, you will never find anyone like us in Normandy”. Mr. Guerin is truly a passionate individual, definitely a Canadian asset in Normandy, and presently he is in need of Canada’s help.
The problem Mr. Guerin is facing is that he is dire need of a location to relocate his collection to a museum to honour our Canadian Soldiers abroad, and he does not have the funds to obtain a location on his own. As he states “this collection was started in 1973. Thousands of hours and tens of thousands of Euros spent. I found a lot from local markets, barns, attics, aged people, and Canadian vets! I have come to the point that I'm fed up seeing this collection in the ex hay attic of my farm, and need to do something proper now... I say 'now'... I am in a hurry, I have to sell my farm as I can't maintain it anymore, nor my parents can. I have to move the collection somewhere else, a museum or sell it so things must go fast. I can't wait”. Yes the Juno Beach Centre already exists, it does have; multimedia presentations, interactive computer terminals, antique radios that broadcast news from the war, video montages and veteran interviews that bring you closer to actual events of the war, and they also have artifact displays it is my opinion that they do not have the room to display Mr. Guerin’s entire collection which from what I have seen from his postings would rival some of the artifacts found at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. In 2004/5 the ‘Year of the Veteran’ Mr. Guerin did display one part of his collection at the Centre in a ‘temporary’ exhibit .His collection is so vast, as he puts it there is a need to “create a RIGHT and PROPER Canadian museum in Normandy”. He has on his own tried to get help in France to create such a museum, but to no avail. Again in his own words “I called the Mayor of Courseulles sur Mer for a meeting, good contact but still NO room for such a museum, February 28th I will be 45 and will start selling the collection, I’m done”.
Today, worldwide the World War II generation is leaving us at the rate of a thousand a day. The generation that gave so much to each of us, and to the world, is quietly receding into the pages of history. Mr. Harper I beseech you is there anything we can do to help Mr. Guerin and keep this part of Canadian history alive.
I humbly await your response.
Kindest regards:
Joe Wilson
Please forward this to anyone you think may be able to keep this remarkable collection in one piece so that this valuable part of Canadian history remain intact. SHARE THIS WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
Thank You
Joe Wilson
From: Attitude & Ideas Inc. [mailto:ani@ody.ca]
Sent: February-10-11 3:34 PM
To: 'pm@pm.gc.ca'
Cc: 'valerf1@parl.gc.ca'; 'p.guerin@orange.fr'; 'kyum@globeandmail.com'; 'city@thestar.ca'; 'torsun.citydesk@sunmedia.ca'; 'info@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca'; 'gnott@ottawacitizen.com'; 'information@vac-acc.gc.ca'
Subject: Losing some Canadian history
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
It has recently been brought to my attention that we Canadians are about to lose some of our Canadian Military History in France. While doing my daily social networking for my business, on the facebook page Canada Remembers which has over 450,000 followers I came across a person named Philippe Guerin from Normandy France (p.guerin@orange.fr). Mr. Guerin just started a facebook group page called Normandy 1944 Canadian Museum in which in his own words he did because “the idea is to show Canadians what they will not be able to visit when visiting Normandy in the future, as the project of such a museum is nearly dead... Enjoy the visit! I will add many more pictures of the collection, by themespictures of the collection, by themes”. Mr. Guerin from his postings has an amazing collection of Canadian Military artifacts (I highly recommend you peruse his postings to get a clear understanding of the significance of his collection). Mr. Guerin is readily available to assist Canadians that are looking for closure for lost World War II family members. As stated here in one of his postings “I live 10mn away from the Abbay d'Ardennes and 15mn away from the Canadian cemetery, in case you need pictures of the grave, let me know”. On another “My parents and I have been welcoming Canadian vets since 1973, we always gave them everything they needed: room, food, drinks, drives, fun,... for NO charge”. My parents are now old, I am now disabled of my left hand, and believe me, you will never find anyone like us in Normandy”. Mr. Guerin is truly a passionate individual, definitely a Canadian asset in Normandy, and presently he is in need of Canada’s help.
The problem Mr. Guerin is facing is that he is dire need of a location to relocate his collection to a museum to honour our Canadian Soldiers abroad, and he does not have the funds to obtain a location on his own. As he states “this collection was started in 1973. Thousands of hours and tens of thousands of Euros spent. I found a lot from local markets, barns, attics, aged people, and Canadian vets! I have come to the point that I'm fed up seeing this collection in the ex hay attic of my farm, and need to do something proper now... I say 'now'... I am in a hurry, I have to sell my farm as I can't maintain it anymore, nor my parents can. I have to move the collection somewhere else, a museum or sell it so things must go fast. I can't wait”. Yes the Juno Beach Centre already exists, it does have; multimedia presentations, interactive computer terminals, antique radios that broadcast news from the war, video montages and veteran interviews that bring you closer to actual events of the war, and they also have artifact displays it is my opinion that they do not have the room to display Mr. Guerin’s entire collection which from what I have seen from his postings would rival some of the artifacts found at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. In 2004/5 the ‘Year of the Veteran’ Mr. Guerin did display one part of his collection at the Centre in a ‘temporary’ exhibit .His collection is so vast, as he puts it there is a need to “create a RIGHT and PROPER Canadian museum in Normandy”. He has on his own tried to get help in France to create such a museum, but to no avail. Again in his own words “I called the Mayor of Courseulles sur Mer for a meeting, good contact but still NO room for such a museum, February 28th I will be 45 and will start selling the collection, I’m done”.
Today, worldwide the World War II generation is leaving us at the rate of a thousand a day. The generation that gave so much to each of us, and to the world, is quietly receding into the pages of history. Mr. Harper I beseech you is there anything we can do to help Mr. Guerin and keep this part of Canadian history alive.
I humbly await your response.
Kindest regards:
Joe Wilson
