Spaces of Quiet

Weirwood*

The benediction is read as two crows fly South-Southeast whilst framed by Victoria’s weirwood tree and carillon.

Standing at my usual post, with my familiar, perhaps junior weirwood tree behind, I am ideally positioned to observe all who gather here.  We have come to remember, to find our place within the “between” spaces of quiet, with spoken word, choral voice, aircraft and cannon. The lament…Flowers of the Forest.

Our tranquil space, our weirwood thoughts, of flowers and fallen autumn leaves, the change to our season – time treading its course. I am of few words today…all have gathered here with connection to someone…to this 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

And so I watch, and so I listen. I find my between spaces of quiet…of those family houses who went before…whose words seem wiser than anything I might write. But then I re-remember that with this day, we are all connected. With our weirwood thoughts and with our search between spaces I watch as crows fly above gathered flowers and fallen leaves…these are our houses…

*Weirwood: A sacred tree well known to followers of Game of Thrones.

Our Family Houses

Edward William Ferguson
119 Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery
Royal Canadian Postal Corps
(United Nations Peacekeeper)

Lewis MacLeod Mills
15th Canadian Field Regiment (WW2)
Royal Canadian Artillery

Ray Morgan
4th Anti-Tank Regiment (WW2)
Royal Canadian Artillery

Eugene Ferguson
United States Army (WW2)

Donald Ferguson
United States Army (WW2)

Bob Wilcox
Royal Canadian Navy (1960s-1970s)

Ole Berget
31st Canadian Infantry Battalion (WW1)
3 May 1917

Ed Berget
Loyal Edmonton Regiment (WW2)

Bill Berget
South Alberta Regiment (WW2)

Bernard Kyllo
50th Canadian Infantry Battalion (WW1)
1 February 1917

Robert B. Kyllo
Calgary Highlanders (WW2
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (82nd Airborne) (WW2)
US Army
14 February 1945

Rowland “Ron” Liversedge
West Yorkshire Regiment (WW1)
MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion (Spanish Civil War)

Thomas Robertson
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (WW2)
26 December 1941

George Henry Prentice
12th (Nelson) Company, 3rd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
ANZAC – Gallipoli (WW1)
18 November 1918

Victor Arthur Charles May
Home Guard (WW2)
Imperial Chemical Industries (Homefront WW2)

Edith Maud May
Women’s Institute (Homefront WW2)

Leonard May
Aircraft Production (Homefront WW2)

Fred May
Aircraft Instrumentation (Homefront WW2)

Harvey Brian May
Royal Air Force (WW2)

John McManus
Air Raid Precautions (Homefront WW2)

Irene Lowe (nee McManus)
Woolwich Arsenal (Homefront WW2)

Ted Lowe
Woolwich Arsenal (Homefront WW2)

Michael Wilson
Royal Air Force
South Arabia