Ceremony at Pennfield Ridge Air Station Marks 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force

On Friday, June 7, 2024, a ceremony at the former Pennfield Ridge Air Station marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, established in 1924. The event also honoured 70 aviators from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom who perished at Pennfield Ridge during World War II. Canada's Governor General Mary Simon and Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick Brenda Murphy joined aviation veterans and officials for the commemoration.

Highlights included the unveiling of two seven-foot-high black granite tablets listing the names of the fallen airmen. Special guests included Commander Mark Tapsell of the New Zealand High Commission, David Loveridge from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Honourary Colonel Robert Quartermain. A St. George Red Granite sculpture depicting the 1924 RCAF badge was also revealed, surrounded by spruce trees shaped like the RCAF Roundel, poppies, and flowers.

Three members of the Royal Canadian Air Force who served during the Second World War and into the 1950s were also present: Flight Lieutenant Herbert McGee, who served on Lancaster bombers and also at Pennfield at the end of the Second World War; Corporal Helen (O’Neill) Lawless, who was an RCAF meteorological technician during that War; and Sergeant Hibbs Barry who served from 1949 to 1974 in Canada and overseas.

Local elementary students planted poppies and formed an honour guard. The ceremony was private, but the memorial site was opened to the public after the event.

Finally, this past Wednesday, Harvey Station celebrated the grand opening of their new baseball field, "Stinger Field." The event featured notable attendees such as the Executive Director of the Toronto Blue Jays' "Jays Care" Foundation Robert Witcher, former Harvey Hornets coach Ed Christie, as well as Harvey Rural Community Mayor Richard Corey and Councillor Sheryl Pepin.

The Jays Care Foundation, known for its commitment to supporting youth through baseball, provided significant funding for the project. As part of their Field Of Dreams program, Jays Care invested more than $1.5 million in 2023 to build, enhance, or refurbish baseball diamonds across Canada. Over the past decade, they have invested nearly $15 million in 163 projects nationwide. Harvey’s selection as one of only 15 communities to receive this prestigious grant in 2023 underscores the community’s dedication to enhancing youth development through sport.

Stinger Field is set to become a hub for local baseball. The Hornets are looking forward to many seasons of teamwork, sportsmanship, and memorable moments on their new home turf.