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Lac La Ronge war veteran honored half a century after death

Aug 17, 2011 | 5:07 PM

More than 50 years after his death, a veteran from the La Ronge area is being honoured with a memorial headstone.

A short march of Saskatchewan Aboriginal veterans, La Ronge RCMP, family and friends of the family made their way to the La Ronge Indian Band Cemetery on Tuesday for a memorial service.

There, a special war veteran’s grave marker was placed at Joseph Halkett’s grave site.

There are a lot of veterans in their gravesite that do not yet have gravestones said David Crane co-ordinator for the Comprehensive Community Based Plan in the La Ronge area.

Crane stressed that the lack of markers doesn’t mean those veterans have been overlooked.

“When the Legion has their services they honor all soldiers, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal in our area. So everyone is honored at any service the legion has so definitely he wasn’t forgotten. It’s just that the family wasn’t aware that they had to apply for the headstone,” he said.

Halkett’s granddaughter approached a councillor of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in 2006 to see about getting a memorial headstone for her grandfather.

The La Ronge area man served in the 107th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force from 1916 to1919. He died in 1956 at the age of 59.

Originally from the Little Red Reserve , west of La Ronge, Halkett’s dedication to serve his country has almost become legend.

“When he was 19 years old he walked from the La Ronge area to Prince Albert. His parents did not want him to join the army so he went ahead anyway to Prince Albert to sign up,” Crane said.

It wasn’t until after Monday's memorial service that they learned some of Halkett’s history in the area, Crane said.

“He was a trapper, an employee of the Hudson Bay Company in the La Ronge area. He did about eight years as a councillor for the Lac La Ronge Indian band,” he said.

Helket’s two children, Grace Ross and Douglas Halkett, still live in the La Ronge area.

Crane said Ross was very happy this headstone and memorial happened and she felt relieved that her father is now honoured in this way.

sfroese@panow.com