Chapter LV: The Halifax Citizens’ Reception Committee

W. S. DAVIDSON.]

The splendid service performed by the Halifax Citizens’ Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee had its inception in the fall of 1916, when Mr. P. F. Martin, at that time Mayor of the city, called a number of representative citizens together at the city hall for the purpose of forming a committee to extend a welcome to the men returning home. The matter did not take definite form, however, until a little later on, when a score of energetic citizens selected by the various National Societies, the Board of Trade and other organizations of the city, met at the Board of Trade Rooms in November, 1916, at the call of Mr. W. S. Davidson, Vice-President of the Board. At this meeting the Committee was organized, as also an Auxiliary Committee of the following ladies:—Mrs. G. McGregor Mitchell, Mrs. Geoffery Morrow, Mrs. T. Sherman Rogers, Mrs. Norwood Duffus, and Mrs. (Dr.) Ryan. Mr. W. S. Davidson was elected Chairman, Mr. Arthur B. Mitchell, Secretary, Mr. A. M. Smith, Assistant-Secretary, and Mr. W. A. Major, Treasurer. The excellence of the choice of this Executive was amply proven by the fact that the personnel remained unchanged from the night the Committee was formed until the last transport docked, and the work was finished.

The following gentlemen composed the original Committee: Messrs. W. S. Davidson, W. A. Major, H. H. Marshall, C. H. Mitchell, J. McL. Fraser, Felix P. Quinn, C. E. Creighton, W. A. Hart, A. M. Smith, Paul Creighton, W. E. Hebb, C. H. Climo, W. L. Kane, J. P. Quinn, P. T. Strong, and R. B. Colwell, representing the North British Society, St. George’s Society, the Charitable Irish Society, the Canadian Club, and the Citizens of Halifax in general.

These gentlemen, who became known as “the originals,” carried on through fair weather and foul, night or day as occasion required from start to finish. The only exception was Mr. H. H. Marshall, who, to the great regret of his friends and fellow-workers, was ordered by his physician to seek a change of climate, his health having broken down, but nevertheless, he was with the work in spirit, always keeping in touch, sending greetings and material aid from time to time.

In addition to those above-mentioned, the following gentlemen joined the movement later, entering into the spirit of the work with energy and enthusiasm: Messrs. E. J. Murphy, G. J. Allen, Cyril Gorham, A. W. Robb, W. R. Morton, H. C. Murphy, Hugh Fraser, Chas. Waterfield, R. A. Wood, W. S. Munnis, John D. Campbell, P. J. Hannifen, Geo. M. Wood, F. M. Guildford, R. K. Elliott, George Ritchie, G. W. Perry, J. A. Neville, H. T. Kline, J. A. Reid, V. B. Faulkner, J. L. Wilson, E. M. McLeod, Geo. T. McNutt, John Fry, J. J. Penny, J. M. Davison, George Robinson, W. R. Scriven, Wm. Wilson, Capt. W. F. Mitchell, W. E. Donavon, G. A. Smith, J. F. Roue, Walter Black, R. J. Flinn, G. A. Gauvin, George Winters, Howard Lawrence, W. Cyril Smith, Cyril Stairs, Sedley E. Thompson, J. L. Hetherington, H. E. Mahon, C. H. Wright, the late Professor Eben McKay, F. A. Marr, Allen Patrick, and H. R. Price.

A number of ladies, Mrs. W. T. Allen, Mrs. M. R. Morrow and others, joined the original Auxiliary Committee of five above-mentioned, doing splendid work in connection with the cot cases, etc., but unfortunately a complete list is not available. Two young ladies deserving of special mention who became associated with the General Committee are Miss Edna Davison and Miss Helen Creighton. Their work was admirable, being here, there, and everywhere when required, untiring in their efforts, having the capacity to perform, as well as zeal to undertake. It is safe to say that the soldier boys who landed at Halifax will never forget the ladies connected with this Committee; for their bright kindly faces, apart from their work, gave them a welcome home which is hard to express in words; and it was not only on fine days when the sun was shining that they were to be seen on the pier when transports were expected, but in all kinds of weather, night as well as day, and only those who worked there know how cold it sometimes was at Pier 2 on a winter night. However, the welcome given the boys was warm enough to take away the chill of the weather.

During the period in which this Committee carried on its work, 138 transports disembarked some 200,000 Overseas men at Pier 2, and of this number very few indeed missed the kindly attentions of the Committee.

The amount expended was as follows:—

Paid for Cigarettes, Tobacco, etc $14,473 51
„ Fruit 7,931 82
„ Postage, telegrams, telephones, etc. 462 42
„ Welcome Cards, badges, printing, etc. 1,294 49
„ Newspapers 1,813 62
„ Taxi service conveying local returned men to their
homes 118 80
„ Music 15 00
„ Baskets, equipment and sundries 278 66
„ Matches 4,782 25
„ Chocolate bars, cakes, etc. 7,157 21
„ Deficit exchanging money 9 50
„ Flowers (for cot cases) 34 50
Money refunded Provincial Recruiting Committee 9 00
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Total $38,380 78

A word or two in connection with these figures which are from the Treasurer’s report. The item for postage, etc., would have been much larger but through the representations of the Committee, after the work had been carried on for a considerable time, the Government was induced to allow letters from returned men, on arrival, to be posted free, thus conserving the funds for other purposes. The item $15 for music does not mean that this was the extent of the music by any means; for the Commanding Officers of local military units very cheerfully permitted their bands to play on the pier on arrival of transports.

Of the above total amount, the sum of $9,178.96 was received in voluntary subscriptions, and $3,000 from Halifax Victory Loan canvassers, which came in spontaneously and entirely unsolicited.

As the end of the War approached and the number of returning men became greater, it became apparent that the funds would require to be largely augmented, and in order to cope with the good work, the Y.M.C.A., the Red Cross Society, and the Knights of Columbus very generously contributed equal amounts of $9,000, less a refund to each of these organizations of $266.06, being the balance or surplus left over at the close of the work.

It was not long after the work began until a splendid system was evolved which worked with almost clock-like precision. The usual procedure was as follows: Immediately a transport was docked a certain number of the Committee were told off to go on board with the latest newspapers, collect telegrams and letters which were, as mentioned above, sent off free of charge, thus doing away with the inconvenience of hunting up stamps, etc. Whenever it happened that a ship had to drop anchor in the stream while waiting for a berth to dock at the pier—and as these were busy days in shipping circles in Halifax, this very frequently happened—a tugboat was promptly secured by the energetic Chairman, and a contingent landed on board with newspapers, cigarettes, matches, fruit, etc.; and, in most cases, if the ship was to remain at anchor over-night, a concert party was always ready to join their efforts with those of the Committee in extending a hearty welcome to the boys, many excellent entertainments being given on board transports waiting to dock. The very best musical talent in Halifax was always ready and willing to respond at a moment’s notice to calls of this nature. Mr. Davidson being one of the principal members of the large shipping firm of Messrs. G. S. Campbell and Co., of course always knew where to locate one of these tug-boats, as they own and operate a number of them, and although in the forefront as business men, and blessed with good memories, they must have forgotten to render any bills or charge for this excellent service.

When the men left the ship and were entrained, a sufficient number of Committee-men having in the meantime been told off and sub-divided, allowing an equal number to look after each car, the cars being designated by letters “A,” “B,” “C,” and so on, beginning with the car nearest the engine, and each party knowing the particular car it had to look after, confusion or oversight was practically nil. The first Committee-man went through the car with baskets of apples and oranges, being followed by another with cigarettes and matches, a third and fourth bringing up the rear with chocolate bars, welcome cards, newspapers, and collecting any letters or postal cards the boys had scribbled while waiting for their train to back in. Oftentimes when large steamships like the _Olympic_, _Mauretania_, or _Aquitania_ arrived, fifteen or twenty trains would be dispatched with an average time between of twenty or twenty-five minutes; so that the necessity for system was evident, or otherwise only a portion of the boys would be looked after; but in the way in which the work was handled every man received attention; and usually a few minutes were left over, before the conductor called “All aboard,” in which to chat with them, give them a hearty handshake and wish them “Bon voyage” and a safe journey to their destination.

This sketch of the work of the Halifax Citizens’ Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee is necessarily short. It does not begin to express the scope or extent of the work carried on by this Committee, but the boys who returned home no doubt still remember the way they were received and treated.

Letters of appreciation were received from all parts of Canada and points in the United States. Such evidence of appreciation amply rewarded the Committee for any efforts they had made to ensure a hearty, and pleasant welcome home to those splendid men, who made the name of Canada for ever respected and glorious.