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In Depth

Canada's war brides

The war bride train: A diary

Last Updated November 7, 2006

Photos and diary by Brian DuBreuil

A Via Rail train carried a group of war brides to Halifax to revisit the site where they landed in Canada 60 years ago. CBC's Brian DuBreuil joined that trip in Montreal on Nov. 6 and covered the trip for the next 24 hours. Here's his account of the trip.

Central Station Montreal — 6 p.m., Nov. 6

Doreen Robinson of Wardsville, Ont., and her grandson piper Brent Schaus.

This is a busy train station. Thousands of passengers pass through here every day en route to New York, Toronto, Ottawa and just about anywhere else in North America.

Some of those passengers were treated to quite the sight Monday afternoon. Three bagpipers from the Blackwatch in Montreal marched around the station, followed by more than 200 war brides and their families. They were leading them on board a special Via train bound for Halifax and Pier 21, the dock at which most of them first set foot in Canada 60 years ago.

This ceremony was a family affair. One of the bagpipers was a young man named Brent Schaus. Next to him, proud as could be, was his grandmother, Doreen Robinson of Wardsville, Ont. For Doreen, this was a complete surprise. She had no idea her grandson was going to be there, escorting the war brides on this first step of the journey.

Their reunion here was fitting. Almost 45,000 war brides came to Canada just after the Second World War to be with their new families in a new country. Now, 60 years later, it's estimated about one million Canadians are directly related to a war bride. That's one in 30 Canadians. An amazing story.

On the Train — 8:45 p.m.

Ursula Bayard and her daughter, Francoise.

I meet Ursula Bayard and her daughter, Francoise. Francoise has travelled from Brooklyn to accompany her mother on the journey back to Pier 21. Ursula met and married a young French Canadian soldier. Her husband didn't speak any English, but fortunately for the budding romance, Ursula had studied in France and could speak French. When Ursula arrived in Montreal, the couple moved into a flat in East Montreal with no hot water. To make the place a little more like home, Ursula put up a picture of the Queen she had brought from England. Her husband invited his family and friends for something of a housewarming party and Ursula remembers her picture of the Queen didn't go over too well with her new family.

Campbellton, N.B. — 6:35 a.m., Nov. 7

Allen Dickson gives a special edition of the Campbellton Tribune to Martha Cullen of Newmarket, Ont.

It is dark. It is cold. The frost is in the air and on the ground. But as the train pulls into the Campbellton station, it is a heartwarming sight. Dozens of people, young and old, are on the platform waving Canadian flags. They are here before the sun rises to welcome the war brides and to give a rousing sendoff to four local war brides. On board, the sounds of "Extra, Extra" echo through the cars. Dressed as a 1940s paperboy, Allen Dickson is handing out issues of the Campbellton Tribune. The banner headline: "Welcome the War Brides Train."

Between Cambellton and Bathurst, N.B. — 8:15 a.m.

The stories just keep coming. Winnie Field of Brandon, Man., has a million of them and she loves to share them. Her favourite memory from the boat trip to Canada — they had white bread on board, something she hadn't seen for five years. "We stuffed ourselves with white bread," she says. "We couldn't get enough." Upon arriving in Halifax, Winnie boarded the train to her husband's family farm in Pelly, Sask. Even though she was 23 years old and had a daughter, Winnie says she couldn't cook a thing. "I didn't even know how to boil water." She says her mother-in-law wasn't very impressed with her new daughter-in-law.

Just outside Miramichi, N.B. — 10:10 a.m.

War brides gather in the Park car to sing songs from the war years.

A sing-along has broken out. A female barbershop quartet started the entertainment, but the war brides soon took over, singing songs from the time they fell in love with the men who brought them to their new home. Songs like I'm a Londoner and For Me and My Gal soon filled the train. They may be in their 80s, but these women are singing up a storm.

Miramachi — 10:30 a.m.

Members of the Summerside Historical Society

Another station, another crowd of people gathered on the platform with flags and signs. This show of support at virtually every station has had a huge effect on these women. As we pull out, a tearful war bride turned to another and said, "I don't know why they're doing all this for us, it's so nice."

Moncton — 12:10 p.m.

This is the biggest crowd yet. More than 200 people have turned out to greet the train. Forty-five more war brides and their families get on. They're joined by several members of the Summerside Historical Society. They left P.E.I. at 7:30 this morning. And these folks really live up to their name. They are all dressed in period costume — a wartime nurse, a soldier, an English bobby and, of course, a war bride and her new Canadian husband.

Just outside Moncton — 12:45 p.m.

All morning, the train has been picking up more war brides: four in Campbellton, 19 in Bathurst, 23 in Miramachi and the 45 who just boarded in Moncton. There is a renewed energy on board the train. While those who have been on since Montreal may be tiring a bit, the new additions are raring to go. In one car, a war bride's husband is playing a cassette tape of songs from the war. In another, war brides from Saint John, N.B., keep bursting into song and those around them join in. They all seem to know all the words.

Westchester, N.S. — 2:50 p.m.

People of Westchester, N.S., welcome the war brides as the train rolls by.

This is a small community in the Wentworth Valley. It used to be a station, but the train hasn't stopped here since 1963. That didn't stop the community from turning out en masse to welcome the war brides. Judy Moore lives along the line and this afternoon, dozens packed her backyard clapping and cheering and waving Canadian flags. The train wasn't allowed to stop — safety concerns, I'm told — but it did slow to a crawl to give the war brides a chance to savour the moment.

Halifax — 4:40 p.m.

Alma and Don MacDonald of West Mabou, N.S., arrive in Halifax. The MacDonalds are renewing their wedding vows at Pier 21

Tired but very happy war brides step off the train in the city that first welcomed them 60 years ago. Most landed at Pier 21 before boarding trains for towns and cities from coast to coast. Most have not been back to visit. And you can't really blame them. Many of the war brides say their first impressions of Pier 21 were bleak. It was an old warehouse, dark, cold and surrounded by wire fencing. When they are honoured at Pier 21 on Wednesday, they will find a very different place. It is a national museum. There will be ceremonies honouring the brides. Unfortunately, many of the brides are widows, but 18 couples will renew their wedding vows at Pier 21. A testament to a love that grew out of war but lasted a lifetime.

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