Black Watch Association - Toronto Branch

About the Branch

The Toronto Association was actually formed by World War One members from the imperial side of our family in 1921. In 1935 the Association opened a club on Wellington Street and the Saturday and Wednesday night dances were very popular. The Saturday night dances continued until the close of the clubrooms.

The first Red Hackle Dinner was held on January 12, 1928 in the King Edward Hotel. With our move to York street as described below, the Dinner moved to the Royal York Hotel and remained there until 1987 when we moved the venue to the 48th Highlanders Sergeants' and Warrant Officers' Mess in Moss Park Armories.

Until the 40's, all Regimental members were from the Imperial Black Watch. The first "Canadians" (to which the new Regimental members were referred) did not arrive until the Second World War. From Wellington, we moved to York Street across form the Union Station in 1969 and had at our peak 550 members (mostly associate) possibly attracted by the delta in beer and liquor prices between ourselves and the Royal York Hotel directly opposite. However, all members knew the meaning of Regiment and family; for it was in those days we would have as many as 200 members on the annual November 10th evening Remembrance Day Parades.

Alas, the building on York Street was put up for sale in 1982 and although we had a large general membership, the managers of the Club had to be Black Watch Regimental personnel. This group was getting few in number, so the decision was made to close clubroom operations. However, we did go out in a blaze of glory in that on February 22, 1982 (the day after our last meeting), the electrical vault under the street outside blew up and the building went on fire. It has subsequently been demolished.

Since the loss of the formal clubrooms, we have been meeting in the Naval Club and in the Sergeants' and Warrant Officers' Mess of the 48th Highlanders of Canada.

The current branch executive is as follows:

President: William (Bill) Carlisle carliswj@sympatico.ca
Vice-President: John Furlong the.hielanman@sympatico.ca
Secretary: Ian MacIntosh tbwa@sympatico.ca
Treasurer: Keith O'Brien printex@rogers.com
Membership Chairman: Johan Draper johan.draper@sympatico.ca

Immediate Past President: William "Bill" Davis

Directors: Kevin Brackley, Herwig Hauschild, William Landry, Johan Draper

TBWA Active Service Fund:

This fund supports regular shipments of coffee cards and parcels of comfort items to our Black Watch personnel serving overseas. Volunteers in the Association buy the items for the parcels, pack and ship them to the troops at no administrative charge. All monies donated go directly to the purchases.

A summary of our latest project to support our troops is outlined below:

The TBWA Active Service Fund Update:
In follow-up of the original Operation Santa, the TBWA sent another round of Tim Horton's coffee cards to our Black Watch Soldiers in March 2008. A personal letter accompanied the cards to each member from the President wishing them well and a safe return to Canada.

If interested, you may send a donation via cheque payable to The Toronto Black Watch Association to:
TBWA Active Service Fund
22 Duke Road
Brampton, Ontario L6T 3K2

Alternatively, if a tax receipt is required, you may send a cheque payable to The Black Watch Foundation designated TBWA ASF to:
The Black Watch of Canada Foundation
2067 Bleury Street,
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K2

Any questions regarding the Active Service Fund may be directed to the President via email at tbwa@sympatico.ca

Upcoming Events

July 26 BBQ:
Our annual BBQ at Col. Angus' residence will be held on July 26. You will have your choice of chicken or steak along with the usual fixings. Also there will be free beer/wine, door prizes and a chance to catch up with old friends and new friends.

Festivities start at 1400 hours with dinner served around 1730 hours. Tickets are $20/person.

Space is limited, so order your tickets now through our Treasurer, Keith O'Brien at printex@rogers.com. Please state your dinner preference when you place your order. If you have questions or need further details, please contact us at tbwa@sympatico.ca. The deadline for ticket purchases is July 16th

Branch News

Annual General meeting May 10:
The AGM was held on May 10, 2008. Due to personal commitments, Alan Cunningham stepped down and the subsequent elections brought a new member, Kevin Brackley to the Board with John Furlong being elected to the position of Vice President. We wish them both much success and thank Alan Cunningham for his support over the past term.

Annual BBQ July 26:
The first priority of the Board is to organize the Annual BBQ which will take place on July 26th. Further details about this event will be posted in the coming weeks.

June 13/08 - The Niagara Parks Commission honors Russell Sanderson and the
Regiment:

Russell Sanderson, a member of this association, who served with the Scout Platoon, 1st Battalion RHC has been holding his own Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph in Niagara Falls for 20 years.

Although the Legion held a ceremony in the local arena and then had a party drive their wreaths over to the Cenotaph for placement, Russell felt that an indoor ceremony was not the correct form of observance. As he puts it, "none of his friends died in the comfort of an arena".

Initially Russ accompanied by his family was laying his personal wreath with the inscription "1st Battalion Black Watch", but today he has the following of a good number of Niagara Falls residents and the support of a friend with a portable sound system.

The Niagara Parks Commission honored Russell for his commitment on June 13th by dedicating two park benches donated by Mr. Robert Gale, a Commissioner with the NPC. The benches are close to the Cenotaph and the two brass plates read as follows:

1) In honor of Russell E. Sanderson, Sniper and Scout, The Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment of Canada
2) 1st Battalion Black Watch Regiment, Scout Platoon 1939-1945

This Association was represented at the ceremony by Captain Joe Nixon (retired), himself an Officer in the Scout Platoon. We had the privilege of providing Joe with a plaque with the Regimental Armorial along with a letter of thanks to present to Bob Gale on behalf of the TBWA and The Black Watch RHC.

Honoring our Scheldt Vets:
We take pleasure in bringing to your attention that Drs Bc Léon A. DeWitte OBE, Président of the Foundation to support the Liberators of the Dutch province of Zeeland, which is better known to us as the Scheldt area of the Netherlands, visited Montreal and Toronto in the last two weeks.

A reception was organized by the Montreal and Toronto Black Watch Associations in Montreal on this past Church Parade weekend (May 3/4) with a dinner on Saturday evening for Dr. Dewitte and his wife with the Scheldt Vets and members of both Associations.

Dr. DeWitte presented commemorative medals from the Dutch Government to the Black Watch Veterans of the Scheldt campaign. These Veterans included our own Bill Davis, Jack Gemmell and Joe Nixon. Recipients form the Montreal area were Cal Wilson, Vernon Blake, Alex Hilliam and Frederick Smith. LCol. Bruce Bolton accepted a medal for his Father, Charles Bolton.

Dr. DeWitte and his wife Catherine subsequently visited Toronto where they were given a tour of the city, lunch in the CN Tower and were treated to a dinner reception which included our President, Honorary Vice President and their spouses.

Joining the Black Watch Association (Toronto Branch)

Please contact the Branch Secretary at tbwa@sympatico.ca