Huron Expositor, 2016-02-24, Page 5Wednesday, February 24, 2016 • Huron Expositor 5
The Earl of Athlone's Seaforth visit, June 1944
David Yates
When it was announced
that Lord Athlone, the Gov-
ernor-General of Canada
and his wife, Her Royal
Highness Princess Alice
would attend the Huron
Federation of Agriculture's
annual picnic at Seaforth's
Lions Park on June 14, 1944,
it sparked an outpouring of
local patriotic pride. The
Governor-General was com-
ing to thank the farmers of
Huron County for their 'deci-
sive and noble part' they
played in keeping away the
dark 'spectre of starvation'
while the British Isles were
under Nazi siege.
In short order, a pro-
gramme was organized to
showcase the best in Huron
County livestock, agriculture
and sports for their Excellen-
cies. A Vice -Regal visit was a
'momentous' event that was
eagerly anticipated in the
area. The Earl of Athlone and
Princess Alice were close rel-
atives of the Royal family.
Lord Athlone was born
Prince Alexander of Teck on
April 14, 1874, a first cousin
to King George V. He was
educated at Eton and the
Royal Military College,
Sandhurst. In 1904, Prince
Alexander married, 21 year
old Princess Alice, a grand-
daughter of Queen Victoria,
in the chapel of Windsor
Castle.
Prince Alexander fought
bravely in the Boer War and
distinguished himself in a
Guards' regiment during the
Great War rising to the rank
of Brigadier General in 1917.
In 1923, he was appointed
Governor-General of South
Africa. When Lord Tweeds-
muir suddenly died in 1940,
Lord Athlone was appointed
Governor-General of Can-
ada in 1940. During the Sec-
ond World War, the Gover-
nor-General travelled
extensively throughout the
Dominion meeting as many
of His Majesty's Canadian
subjects as possible and
raise morale for the war
effort.
On Wednesday, June 14,
the Vice -Regal party arrived
in Stratford by train. Lions
President W. L. Whyte
greeted them and drove
them by automobile to Sea-
forth's First Presbyterian
Church for the official recep-
tion at 12:45 pm. Due to lim-
ited space at the church,
organizers found it 'difficult'
Huron History
David Yates
to extend invitations to only
a few. However, His Excel-
lency made it clear to organ-
izers that he would 'meet as
many of the farmers and
their wives as possible' at the
fair.
Seaforth Mayor J. J. Cluff
extended a 'warm welcome'
to Lord Athlone and Her
Royal Highness and assured
Their Excellencies of the
town's loyalty to the Crown.
The Governor-General
responded that he and the
princess were 'happy to be
here' and commented 'on
the beauty of Seaforth and
surrounding country.' HFA
Vice -Chair Russell Bolton
and Gordon McGavin of the
Walton Plowman's Associa-
tion thanked their Excellen-
cies and the luncheon
adjourned to Lion's Park.
A crowd estimated at
between 10-12,000 people
from all over Huron and Perth
Counties enthusiastically
cheered the Vice -Regal party
as it entered the Park. The
Governor-General inspected
an Honour Guard made up of
100 soldiers from Camp
Ipperwash who smartly came
to attention as Their Excellen-
cies as they approached the
speakers' platform.
A massed choir under the
direction of Miss M. E. Turn-
bull consisting of children
from all Huron County
schools sang '0 Canada' and
'The Maple Leaf Forever.'
Local Member of Parliament,
W. H. Golding, introduced
Lorth Athlone calling him 'a
gallant gentlemen' with a
'magnificent' public service
record.
Moved by his reception, the
Governor-General said that
he would mention 'this
charming spot' and its 'beau-
tiful country' to the King. He
was also glad to see so many
children in attendance at
which point, HFA Chairman
Harry Sturdy of Auburn,
called on his 6year old daugh-
ter, Betty, to present Her Royal
Highness with a bouquet of
flowers.
As part of a tour of western
Ontario communities, Lord
Athlone called Canada 'the
granary of the British Empire'
and how deeply 'indebted' the
war effort was to Canadian
farmers who, despite short-
ages of labour and machinery,
'overcame these troubles with
enterprise and determina-
tion.' In the week after the
D -Day invasion, the Gover-
nor-General received his
greatest cheers when he com-
pared farmers to munition
workers whose agricultural
output 'is among the mostval-
uable sinews of war:
True to their promise to
meet as many people as pos-
sible, their Excellencies shook
hands and spoke a few words
with hundreds of men,
women and children who
thronged around them. They
then toured livestock shows,
displays of labour saving
devices and the produce of
local industry. The Hesky Flax
Products Ltd, which had a
large factory in Seaforth, and
made towels for the U.S.
Marine Corps presented Prin-
cess Alice with a set of flaxen
towels.
Afterwards, the Vice -Regal
couple returned to Stratford
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and continued their western
Ontario tour. A Huron Federa-
tion of Agriculture dance at
Cardno Hall ended a 'glorious'
day in Seaforth. Lord Athlone
remained Governor-General
until 1946. In 1953, he was
appointed to the committee
which organized the Corona-
tion of his great grand niece,
Elizabeth II. Lord Athlone
died in 1957. Princess Alice
died in 1981 at the age of 97.
She was the last of Queen Vic-
toria's grand -daughters.
The 'Huron Expositor' edi-
tor captured the mood of the
1944 Vice -Regal visit to Sea -
forth when he wrote that
'never before has anticipation
been greater or fulfilment
more complete and gratifying
than that experienced by the
thousands who welcomed the
Earl of Athlone and Princess
Alice. The visit was a pleasur-
able experience that will be
cherished in the memory of
the citizens of this town and
county' for a very long time. In
a more cynical age, it is hard
to understand the excitement
of a Vice -Regal visit, but, noth-
ing has ever replaced the loy-
alty that Canadians have tra-
ditionally demonstrated to the
Crown. And, nothing proba-
bly ever will.
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