He was only 21 when he died of cancer, but 40 years later, the town of Spaniard’s Bay still honours his name.
The Gary Churchill Memorial Award is given annually to a Grade 9 student based on an essay competition about Remembrance Day.
Fourteen-year-old Olivia Dyke is this year’s recipient.“I’ve wanted to win it since I was in Grade 5,” Olivia said. “When I heard them say my name I was actually in shock.”
Olivia wrote a piece of historical fiction, based on a story she heard about a soldier who had been shot in the chest. The character in her story is a 19-year-old Newfoundlander. A small Bible and a picture of his sweetheart in his breast pocket saved him from the bullet that would have taken his life.
“I feel proud to be a Newfoundlander and a Canadian,” Olivia said. “The soldiers who fought … they sacrificed themselves to save us and our country.”
Revelyn Churchill is the older brother of Gary Churchill and he was there to present the award to Olivia.
“Right off the bat, right down the back, I seen her (and) she started to bust out crying right away,” he said. “It was the first time I really did see this in one of the children … it brought tears to my eyes the same time.”
Churchill took over presenting the award from his father, who died of cancer in 2017.
“Mom and Dad started this in (1979) with the Legion,” he said. “They looked forward to this so much every year, especially dad. He would start this even months before November, getting the ball going and making sure to call the (trophy shop) and have them bugged just about every week, call the teachers. … He called them just about every other day.
“He was right on top of everything, Dad was. He took this really to heart. Both of them did.”
Churchill says Remembrance Day was always a day to reflect on our past and on the nation’s veterans. But with a son in the Armed Forces and his father now gone, it’s become even more important.
The essay competition is an ongoing project which makes sure the words “lest we forget” continue to resonate with younger generations.
“It’s not just about the memory of (my brother), it’s also to keep Remembrance Day with the children and for the children to keep learning about it. When us older fellers are gone, it (could) be forgotten,” he says.
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