Heritage Canada’s project to pair iconic songs and military bands to honour Canada’s WWI history will feature Ian Tyson. During a CBC report about the project, Tyson sees his father’s WWI service file for the first time.
Tyson contributed his classic song to the Heritage Canada project, but in return learned many new details regarding the heroism and hardship of his father, Capt. George Tyson, during his service for Canada in World War I in Belgium. Some were even handwritten by his father.
CBC report’s include an all-too-short segment of Ian Tyson singing “Four Strong Winds” with a military band. Screen shot clipped May 27, 2015.
Many Canadian genealogists have long known about the terrific information in our ancestors’ WWI service files, and it is always nice to see someone else discover what these files hold.
Tyson’s Four Strong Winds is the singer’s most famous song, part of a career that has spanned decades and seen him inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Watch the CBC clip to find out what the singer learned. And give yourself an extra treat. Watch and listen to Ian and Sylvia sing Four Strong Winds in a 1986 reunion concert broadcast on CBC. They were joined by Murray McLaughlin, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot, and Emmylou Harris.
There is no mention in the CBC report about when Heritage Canada’s video of Tyson performing with a military band will be released. And no amount of Googling on my part turned up any other mention of the project and who else will be featured. If you know, please post a comment.
You can search Library and Archives Canada’s WWI service files database here.
Thank you for this link:
I also am trying to get service records about WWI about my mother’s cousin’s Ferris Bolton’s three sons. Mr. Bolton was an M.P. for Winnipeg. He wrote a book of his memoirs which my mother had reprinted for the family’s records.
In it he tells of his three sons all dying within three months of each other in different battles of WWI. He tells of his wife’s mental collapse after the deaths of all her sons in such a short period. She never recovered and she died not too long after, probably of a broken heart. It brings tears to your eyes if you can imagine losing all your children in such a short time.
I do not think most Canadians realize the decimation of a generation of young men who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy the wonderful country we live in.
I was pleased to be present at the last two Remembrance Day services here in Kelowna. The turnout of younger people was awesome. Many young families with their children attended to honour our fallen. This multitude of young people gives me hope for the next generation. Press is full of negative articles about our youth. but they did a great job of covering the huge turnout of young and old.
I also enjoyed the news coverage of the Penticton and Kelowna high school students who traveled to Europe to pay homage to our lost soldiers.
What a wonderful trip these young people made that demonstrates they appreciate the sacrifices made so they can live in in peace in the best country in the world.
Good Morning…
The video link for the song “Four Strong Winds” that was recently filmed can be found at this web site http://www.boldandmighty.com/#commemorating . A family member had a large hand in the research of the military records for Mr Tyson.
Thanks, Heather! I really enjoyed the video, “Four Strong Winds.”