Christmas 1917

Christmas 1917 must have been a strange one for my Grandpa Nevard.
Not sure just where he was but somewhere on "the continent", Belgium, Germany, France. Probably wondering if he would ever see his family again. This was a post card he sent home.

Grandpa Nevard

Today , Sept. 13, was his birthday. I think he would have been 131 today.

Heading Home On The Queen Elizabeth

From Dick Nevard's journal. Although the war ended in May of 1945 it was January of 1946 before he  left England on the RMS Queen Elizabeth

January 28
We set sail for New York and said goodbye to dear old England. Saw a cruiser, a destroyer, and a submarine.
January 29
Some of the boys started to get sick but I was ok right through the journey never missing a meal. Went to bible study and sing song.
January 30
Bought a calendar and post cards of RMS Queen Elizabeth. Also a box of 24 chocolate bars. Saw another picture show. Went to bible study at night.

January 31
Sat up on the promenade deck all morning. We had boat drill and then I stayed on deck and took in a picture show. Sweeping promenade deck at 10:00 pm.
February 3
Arrived in New York harbour. Left the ship about 11:00 at night. Had donuts , coffee and fresh milk. Crossed the harbour on ferry and got on board the train.
February 4
Travelling all day across New York. Arrived in Hamilton and had an orange and apple. Arrived at Toronto by dark.
February 5
Travelling all day. It was raining when we arrived at Fort William. Heard the Fort William girls band which I had heard before at Camp Shilo.
February 6
Arrived at Winnipeg and then Regina at 7:00 in the evening. Got blankets and made my bed up in barracks. Then went to Aunt May's.
February 8
Chatted on train with George Macknack on the way to Lipton. Went to Mr. Gray's for lunch. Jim Millward and I hired Campbell to drive us home. I walked in on Dad, Bill, and Uncle Arthur unexpectedly.

Easter Sunday 1903

Easter Sunday was on April 15th in 1903. It is a historic date in Nevard history. Ernest and Arthur Nevard arrived in Halifax harbour aboard the S.S. Lake Manitoba from Essex, U.K. It was Ernest's 25th birthday. They had a long journey by rail before eventually reaching what would be their homesteads in district of Assiniboia (later Saskatchewan).

Trip To Lipton January 1948

January 26: Roy came along in the closed in cutter about 8 AM and I went to Lipton with him. It was a cold day with a North wind blowing but with a fire on we were quite comfortable. The road was heavy and we could not make very fast progress. I went to the station and paid the freight. Then we put the two 100 pound boxes of fish out on the platform ready.
We went to the post office where I saw our new post master, Reg Waters for the first time as it was my first trip to Lipton since July 30, 1946.
We went to Charles Brinkworth's cafe for dinner (55 cents). Then I went to the bank, had my book fixed up and put $100 into a savings account. I hunted up where Fishers live and paid them a visit. Mr. Fisher showed me his encyclopedia and Mrs. Fisher gave me some tea and cake. Philip Fisher has two youngsters, both girls, and Kenny has a son. Will Lutz and Malcom Bordass were in town with Ed Miller's closed in cutter. Oshowey also in town. And Charlie Hook.
I went into the barber shop and pool room for the first time and saw pool being played. Charlie Bull was playing with another guy. Bill Miller and Robert Senft at another table. Jack Goff, Joe Kelsey and others in there looking on,
When we left town little Henry Schmidt rode with us to Jack Mintzler's. He was after a horse for his foxes. He has an 8 year old mare he is willing to trade off for an old horse.

January 27: Dick and I got two loads of wheat straw home this morning and put it in the loft. In the afternoon I went for a tank of water. In Uncle Arthur's pasture I got stuck as the sleighs cut off. Bud came along with the scoop shovel and dug some snow away so I could get started again and managed to get home. Bud was screening barley out of his straw pile.

Jack Goff in the 1940s