Keeping Memories Alive
Thanks to a dynamic duo at Nipigon Legion Branch #32
Like most Legion halls in Canada, Nipigon Branch #32 is working hard to remain open and be an asset to the community, local veterans, and its membership.
Nipigon was once a busy and flourishing town of about 3,000 people until the nearby paper mill in Red Rock was downsized and then closed completely a few months later. Meanwhile, the largest employer in Nipigon—the plywood mill—burned to the ground. As a result, the locals had to re-assess their lives, work, income potential, and plans for the future—many moved away.
Residents had come to depend on the Legion Hall and the Elks Club for events ranging from weddings and shows to celebrations and parties. With the departure of so many, the Legion was soon struggling to keep up with maintenance and sustain its membership; the Elks Club soon closed up shop. The population was aging fast and couples were not having four to six children anymore, so the schools lost students.
In the face of so much change, two ladies at the Legion, Karin Mackenzie and Ava Walter, were always trying to come up with ideas for creating awareness for the Legion, commemorating the lives of Nipigon’s veterans and raising funds to help build a new cenotaph.
A handcrafted, wall-hanging quilt recognizing local veterans, and veterans related to Nipigon family members, proved to be one of their most successful ideas of all. The hanging quilt, now comprising three panels, is made up of individual squares, each with a crest or poppy and a veteran’s name embroidered at the bottom.
Although the concept sounds simple and straightforward, it became a huge undertaking—in hindsight, a bigger project than either lady realized. Ava was the master seamstress and creator, while Karin worked behind the scenes, scrambling for materials and then locating and securing the services of a company to do the embroidery work. Companies in nearby Thunder Bay were not interested, but with some divine guidance, Karin found a small outfit in Barrie, Ont., called Hoops and Loops. As soon as they heard about the initiative, they wanted in—despite having only two full-time employees. Once the individual squares were ready, Ava shipped them off in small numbers and the company
would embroider them free of charge. The owner said, “If we can’t give up two days for veterans who gave up their lives, what kind of proud Canadians would we be?”
A UNIQUE TRIBUTE
Then, the effort began to find people willing to pay to have a square created and embroidered in honour of the veteran in their family. It took time, but the duo came up with the names of 180 veterans to honour—meaning 180 squares had to be sewn and embroidered, three wall hangings created, 90 poppies handcrafted, 90 crests purchased, plus suitable thread and ribbon-binding found.
Away for the winter in a warmer climate, Ava got busy on the sewing machine, creating the poppies and squares, using red, white, blue and yellow as her colour options, she made sure each creation was truly unique. Her serger and sewing machines seemed to be going 12 hours a day and her sewing room and spare bedroom were covered in materials, designs, backing material, threads and ribbons.
At the same time, Ava also fit smaller sewing projects into her day, for example, making unique, moose hide gauntlets for The Hope Classic curling fundraiser in Thunder Bay, each adorned with a cancer symbol on the cuffs. She is always creating something unique to support fundraising causes for the church, the Legion, the curling club and community projects that better life in our small town. In the fall of 2018, she was given the Volunteer of the Year award by the municipality, an honour she was very proud to accept, as her mother had also received this award for her dedication to Nipigon.
On Remembrance Day 2018, Ava’s first wall hanging was unveiled after the service. It was hung on a separate wall, covered for protection by clear plastic, but easily read by people who wanted to see whose names were on the first one. It is hung in the main hall for special events and is otherwise always on display in the club rooms. During the winter of 2018, Ava completed all her poppies while on holiday and, on her return, soon had the other two panels ready for display.
The final panels were unveiled at the Nipigon Legion Branch #32 at a Remembrance Day supper on November 11, 2019. If there was sufficient wall space, we are sure another 60 names could easily be found now that people can see the awesome tributes up close.
Nipigon and our Legion Branch are indebted to Ava and Karin for developing their initial idea into such a wonderful tribute to our veterans and our town.
Visit Legion Branch #32 at https://nipigonlegion.ca