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Tour honours Foothills ladies who served

Women who served in war may not have made the ultimate sacrifice on the front line, but their service should not be forgotten, says an Okotoks historian.
SA Veterans Way Wall Tour
Okotoks historian Kathy Coutts is providing tours of the Salute to our Veterans Wall on Veterans Way May 26 at 10 a.m. with a focus on women who served in war.

Women who served in war may not have made the ultimate sacrifice on the front line, but their service should not be forgotten, says an Okotoks historian. Kathy Coutts is ensuring they’re not forgotten by hosting a free one-hour tour of the Salute to Our Veterans Wall on Veterans Way May 26 at 10 a.m. to honour the 13 selfless women featured on the wall. “Some were with the navy, some with the army and some with the air force,” Coutts said. “Each one served quite differently, but with an equally important role so we wanted to shine the spotlight on the role that women played in World War II.” Among the women is Muriel Gould, who joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service at the age of 22 and served in Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Coutts will share the young woman’s recollections of receiving parcels from her sister filled with cookies, cakes and chocolate, which she and her friends gobbled down before the day was out. “The parcels from home were just as important to the women who served as the men who served overseas,” Coutts said. In 1944, Coutts said Gould was chosen to represent women in the naval service at the Jack Benny Victory Loan Celebration in Victoria. Bessie Quinn is another young woman Coutts will talk about. Quinn was an Okotoks high school teacher who took a leave from her job to join the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in 1942. Coutts said Quinn received her training at Vermilion and was responsible for recruiting other women to the corps before being transferred to Ottawa to train as a night vision instructor for men in the medical corps. Coutts initially toured the public along the wall during the official unveiling of the Salute to our Veterans Wall last fall. She has since hosted tours in March and April and will host more in June, September and October – each with a different theme. “There are so many stories to tell,” said Coutts. “The purpose of that wall is so we remember and acknowledge the commitments that each of them had in stepping forward and volunteering to serve in the war.” While the cenotaph acknowledges those who paid the supreme sacrifice and were killed in action, the wall honours those Okotoks residents who had the courage to step forward, said Coutts. “We need to ensure they were never forgotten and their stories were never forgotten,” she said. “As long as people are willing to listen I will continue to tell their stories.” In March, Coutts talked about Okotoks families with multiple members who served in war and in April she discussed evasion, escape and POWs. In June Coutts will talk about men who paid the supreme sacrifice and were killed in action or training. “I plan to speak about different people in every tour so that everyone’s story gets told at some point,” she said. “The stories are very moving because it personalizes the names and faces on the wall. It’s very meaningful sharing their stories.” Those interested in attending the tour can meet at the benches halfway up Veterans Way at 10 a.m. Anyone wanting guided group tours outside of the monthly tours can contact Coutts at 403-938-8969.

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