Corporal William Power to accompany Battlefield tour

April 15, 2015 · 0 Comments

The Upper Grand District School Board Battlefield Tour has officially announced the name of the Dufferin Veteran to accompany High School Students on their journey to honour Canadian soldiers at Juno Beach this June. Corporal William Power, a teacher at Orangeville District Secondary School and a long-serving member of Canada’s forces will represent Dufferin Veterans on the 2015 Tour. Corporal Power will be the first Veteran to receive a County subsidy that provides financial support for his place on the Tour ensuring his invaluable contribution to the learning enrichment for the students he accompanies.
County Council approved the $4500 subsidy last month with a motion to support one Dufferin Veteran to accompany students on the annual Battlefield Tour. The motion was proposed by Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) History teacher, Neil Orford, who says, “This will be an annual subsidy available to any of the three schools who organize Battlefields Tours, based on the CDDHS or Digital History Project models.” County Council also approved the creation of an AD Hoc Sub Committee to create criteria for the suitability of candidate veterans.
The following is a short biography of Corporal Power:
“Cpl Power (retired) first enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1986 as Gunner with the 11th Field Artillery Regiment located in Guelph, Ontario. Here, he worked as a member of a gun crew, drove the gun tractor and was trained as an artillery communicator. Upon completing high school, he transferred to the Regular Force in 1988 as a Crewman with the Royal Canadian Dragoons. From 1989 until his release in 1996, Cpl Power was stationed at C.F.B. Petawawa. During this time period, he worked briefly on the Cougar AVGP as a member of B Squadron before volunteering to be transferred to Recce or D Squadron. As a reconnaissance soldier, he trained as a driver/operator on the Lynx armoured vehicle and eventually, he completed his Basic Parachute course and did a stint with “jump-troop” as a member of 1st Troop Para. His final position with the RCD was as a loader/operator on the Leopard tanks when they returned from Germany in 1993. After a hiatus of ten years in which he completed his education, Cpl Power re-enlisted in the reserves with his old unit the 11th Field Artillery Regiment in 2006 and was employed as a detachment commander on the 105mm Howitzers. In 2011 he initiated a Voluntary Occupational Transfer to Intelligence Operator and served with 2 Intelligence Companies in Toronto until 2015. His decorations include medals for service with UNIFICYP in Cyprus in 1989, UNPROFOR in Bosnia in 1994, the CPSM or Peacekeeping Service Medal, the Canadian Decoration and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.”
Corporal Power told the Free Press, “As a veteran, I feel that the support provided by Dufferin County promotes a recognition of veterans while providing learning opportunities in which students can draw upon first-hand accounts and experiences to gain a more profound understanding of what it means to serve one’s country. Although I am not a veteran of WWI or II, I hope my experiences in Cyprus and Bosnia will help the students reflect on the idea of service so that they can better connect with the Canadian men and women who fought in both World Wars. This will be my first time experiencing the battlefields of Normandy. I am excited to be part of a motivated group of students not only to help facilitate their learning but to expand my own learning and understanding through them.”
Cpl Power will join a Tour itinerary designed for student education, interact with students and give media interviews, and act as an official ambassador for all Dufferin Veterans, which includes public speaking on at least four official occasions. Neil Orford expressed thanks to Pat Hamilton, Principal at ODSS, for going out of his way to make Cpl Power’s participation on the Tour a reality.

By Marni Walsh