St. Jude's Memorial Banner Project

Project Background & Objectives 

The friends of Old St. Jude’s Church Inc. Initiated this project to honour the service and sacrifice of Métis veterans who served during the Second World War. The project’s objective was to create forty-eight 20” x 30” banners recognizing Métis veterans from the surrounding area. Where photographs were available, banners would include the veteran’s image, rank, and dates of service. For veterans whose photographs or detailed information could not be located, a community banner would be created to ensure their names and contributions were still recognized. The committee also committed to obtaining consent from family members before using any photographs.   

The project aligns with the organization’s ongoing commitment to preserving and celebrating local history. The Friends of Old St. Jude’s Church was established after community members came together to save the historic church from demolition in 2004. Through years of heritage preservation work, including the church’s designation as a Municipal Heritage Site in 2018, the organization has remained dedicated to protecting and sharing the history of the region. 

Milestones & Progress 

The project involved researching and confirming the identities and service histories of Métis veterans from the area, locating photographs, and working with families to obtain permission for their use. Committee members reached out to veteran families and community contacts to gather information and ensure that the banners would accurately represent those being honoured. 

Progress was affected by several challenges. Some committee members were no longer active, while others had passed away. Difficulties were also encountered when trying to confirm veteran information and obtain photographs from families. The COVID-19 pandemic created additional obstacles, as illness affected committee members and limited their ability to continue project activities. In some cases, family members who may have had access to photographs or historical information had also passed away, making research more difficult. 

Despite these challenges, the committee continued its efforts and gained a deeper understanding of the contributions and sacrifices made by Métis veterans. 

Final Impacts & Achievements 

The project helped preserve and recognize the legacy of Métis veterans from the surrounding area by documenting their stories and commemorating their military service. Through research and engagement with families, valuable historical information was collected and preserved for future generations.  

In addition to creating a lasting tribute to the veterans, the project increased awareness of the important role Métis people played during the Second World War. The committee’s work strengthened community knowledge of local history and ensured that the sacrifices of these veterans would be remembered and honoured. Overall, the project provided an important opportunity for learning, remembrance, and recognition of Métis military service.