Released on July 9, 2014
Archibald, Boyes, Cooper, Ionel, Kalen and NuttallTo honour the lives of these Saskatchewan heroes, the Government of Saskatchewan has approved the nominations for six new geographic place names under the GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program.
Established in 1947, the GeoMemorial Naming Program designates geographic features in memory of individuals born or raised in Saskatchewan who have lost their lives in the line of duty or held prominent influence in the province’s history. Administered by the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport’s Heritage Conservation Branch, the program has named approximately 4,000 geographic features across Saskatchewan.
“The individuals recognized through the GeoMemorial Naming Program have helped make Saskatchewan the place it is today,” Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport Mark Docherty said. “These individuals have sacrificed their lives for our citizens and made important contributions to the province in the hope of a better tomorrow. In a province that’s growing and which has more people moving here than ever before, it’s important to remember the men and women whose actions have bettered Saskatchewan for future generations.”
Located throughout northern Saskatchewan, the approved nominations include five lakes and one bay:
Archibald Lake - Named after Lt. Girvan Fraser Archibald (Marquis, Saskatchewan), a member of the West Nova Scotia Regiment who was wounded during the fighting in Ortona, Italy, and later died on December 20, 1943 as a prisoner of war.
Boyes Lake – Named after Lt. Justin Boyes (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), of the North Saskatchewan Regiment, who was killed on October 28, 2009 by an improvised explosive device (IED) while deployed as a member of the Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
Cooper Bay – Named after Clarence Owen Cooper (1899-1966), a Member of Parliament for the Rosetown-Biggar constituency from 1958 to 1965 and a strong proponent of the South Saskatchewan River Project and development of the Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker.
Ionel Lake – Named after Sapper John Ionel (Ormiston, Saskatchewan), of the Royal Canadian Engineers who was captured during fighting in France and executed on the orders of Wilhelm Mohnke, an officer with the 12th SS Panzer Division, on June 11, 1944.
Kalen Lake – Named after F/O John Kalen (Regina, Saskatchewan), a member of the 439 Squadron of the RCAF, who was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire while on air operations over France on July 18, 1944.
Nuttall Lake – Named after Lt. Andrew Richard Nuttall (born in Prince-Rupert, British Columbia, raised in Regina, Saskatchewan), a member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry who was killed on December 23, 2009 by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on foot patrol in Afghanistan.
Each nomination was approved following a formal request presented to the ministry.
“Andrew loved the outdoors, and was a keen hiker and camper,” Dr. Richard Nuttall said. “Our family is very pleased and honoured with the naming of this lake after our son and brother. Our whole family thanks the Government of Saskatchewan for recognizing and remembering his sacrifice.”
“I want to thank the Government of Saskatchewan and the personnel who assisted me in getting Uncle John commemorated in the GeoMemorial Program,” nephew of John Ionel, Ken Ionel said. “The fact that he gave his life to preserve our freedom will now be preserved forever, and for that, our entire family is extremely thankful.”
For more information on the GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program, including how to nominate a new geographic place name, please visit www.pcs.gov.sk.ca/geomemorial.
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For more information, contact:
Chelsea Coupal
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5781
Email: chelsea.coupal@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-527-8152