Thursday, April 14, 2011

In Memory of Reg.#S/8719, Stan MacKenzie

C A N A D A
'Friends Not Forgotten'

In Memory of Reg.#S/8719, Stan MacKenzie (center)
Last living crew member of the 1944 voyage of the St. Roch, RCMP schooner

The Most Northerly Route  -- Stan Mckenzie Looks Back at the St. Roch’s 1944 Voyage Through the Northwest Passage

by S/Sgt. Lloyd P. Wallis (Rtd.)

'Former S/Cst. Stan McKenzie, 90, is the last living crew member of the 1944 voyage of the St. Roch, an RCMP schooner that sailed east to west, from Halifax to Vancouver, through the most northerly route of the Northwest Passage.

The St. Roch had sailed earlier through the North, west to east from 1940-42. It was later the first ship to completely circumnavigate North America by sailing south through the Panama Canal in 1950. (A Norwegian ship, the Gjoa, travelled east to west 38 years previous to 1944, but did not sail as far north as the St. Roch.)

McKenzie always felt he contributed to the sovereignty of Canada by being a crew member on the 86-day voyage through the most northerly Arctic route, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Sixty-five years after leaving the RCMP, McKenzie joined the Nova Scotia Veterans’ Association and provides an interesting account of his historical life experiences.'

Contributors and acknowledgements:

*Appreciation to Vet. Sheldon Boles of 'E' Div. by providing Stan's obituary,
*Appreciation to serving member Supt. Brian Brennan, 'H' Div. for Stan's photo (above) as well as aiming me towards the article from The Quarterly written by S/Sgt. Lloyd P. Wallis (Rtd.),
*Appreciation to S/Sgt. Lloyd P. Wallis (Rtd.) for the background story about Stan McKenzie and to The Quarterly.

'Maintain Our Memories'

J. J. Healy,
Reg.#23685

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BuffaloJoe
Reg.#23685