How the Brant Naval Veterans’ Association remembers those who served 

Alexa Ford/ Editor-in-Chief
Replica ship wheel hung on the wall of the Brant Navy Club.

The Brant Veterans’ Naval Association began during the Second World War in the garage of a few soldiers who came home and made a commitment to never lose touch. Almost 70 years later, this Navy club is still thriving in the heart of Brantford. On the corner of Wadsworth and West Street, this club is home to over 300 members and heavily involved in the Brantford community.  

Since the beginning, it has always been about veterans, especially as Remembrance Day approaches.  

“If you don’t remember those who served, history will repeat itself,” said Fred Beale, the president of the Brant Veterans’ Naval Association.  

Following the Remembrance Day parade on Monday, Nov. 11 at 10:45 a.m. the club has an open house for veterans and the public.  

“Anybody who’s in the service or in any uniform has a place to come that day,” said Beale.  

The club has been involved in the Remembrance Day celebrations in Brantford for a long time. Beale was a member of the committee that involved the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum over 10 years ago. He and others raised money personally and paid for the first annual flyover, and since then, the city pays for it. The club lays a wreath at the Cenotaph every year.  

“It’s very powerful. I tear up, many people do when they play the last post,” said Beale.  

John Gilmour, a Cold War veteran, is an active member in the club and has been for 16 years.  

“The first time I was in this building was July 1st, 1955,” said Gilmour.  

As he marched in the July 1 parade as a bandsman, he and all his other bandsmen marched to the club and enjoyed hot dogs to end the parade. This tradition continues to this day. Last year Beale sent Gilmour to pick up extra hot dogs at the last minute, he recalls with a chuckle.  

“I went in there and I’m running around and a girl says, ‘What are you looking for?’ I said, ‘200 hot dogs.’ She looked at me like I had two heads,” said Gilmour. “What really got her was when I went over to get the buns. I needed 200 of them too.” 

John’s service began in 1959 after he hitchhiked to Hamilton on his 18th birthday. He spent his time during the Cold War on many ships, reading sonar to track submarines. His first ship was the HMCS Iroquois and years later, he currently works at the HMS Star base in Hamilton on the sister ship of the Iroquois, the HMCS Haida.  

“I took the long way around to get back here,” said Gilmour.  

After leaving the Navy, Gilmour worked at the coast guard for 13 years and spent some time on ships heading to colder weather.  

“Best I can say is I got within 600 miles of the North Pole,” he said. 

Gilmour’s father was a paratrooper in the war and suffered from PTSD. Remembrance Day is an emotional day for many veterans and coming to the Cenotaph can be a challenging time for people who lived through wartime.  

“My father’s favourite expression was when someone asked him, ‘Are you afraid of going to hell?’ and he said, ‘Nope, already been there. I know what it’s all about,’” said Gilmour. 

At the age of 82, Gilmour is still very involved with the Cadets, the HMC Star and the Navy club.  

Now, as the number of veterans in town decreases, the club is host to many community events. Games like euchre, darts and snooker — a version of pool with a larger table but smaller pockets  — happen weekly at the club. In the winter, the club hosts live entertainment on the weekends with local bands and artists. Sundays, the club leaves it open for celebrations of life. Members or members’ family and friends can use the space to celebrate the life of lost loved ones, free of charge. The club accepts donations for these celebrations, but they are not expected, said Beale.  

Community groups also rent the club’s space for their events. The Canadian Mental Health Association hosts a fundraiser every summer to raise money. Monthly, the Candian Mental Health Association bring their clients into the club to play darts, play snooker and enjoy the space. The crossing guards for Brantford use the club quarterly for their meetings and host their annual banquet there as well. 

Every Christmas, the doors to the club are open for the entire neighbourhood. Members can bring their family to meet Santa, play games and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.  

Even though the club is more public-facing today, there are still old Navy rules that are enforced. “Ringing the bell” is a Navy term and a rule still in effect at the club. If a member of the military (or a civilian) walks into the club and is wearing a hat, someone rings the bell and the culprit must buy the entire club a round of drinks. Nowadays, it is not enforced as strongly but is still a fun homage to the old Navy ways. 

The club hasn’t always been in the flourishing state it is now. Beale has been in his position for seven years and has seen the club through hard times.  

“Twelve years ago, we were destitute and we were very concerned about the future of this club. Now, we’re self-supportive and we’ve got a core group of people who love the facility and what is stands for,” said Beale.  

Club member Bob Sedman applied for many grants over the past three years and the club has received over $600,000 from the government to renovate the building and maintain the programs they offer. The club is sanctioned with the Royal Canadian Naval Association and has a charter with them, but the Brantford chapter is older than the association.  

Being a member of this association costs $45 per year, but when a member reaches 25 years, the fee is waived because that member has reached lifetime status. Oswald “Ozzy” Stemller, a good friend of Beale’s, was a founding member of the club and a local legend as a stone mason.  

“There’s not a school in town here that was built up until the 1970s that he didn’t have a hand laying the brickwork for, a real pillar in the community,” said Beale.  

He celebrated his 90th birthday at the club and built a stone monument that is placed right outside of its front doors. Stemller sadly passed away this year at the age of 92.  

The community is welcome to come to the club to explore the space, participate in the activities or have a drink. Beale said veterans are always welcome at the club if they need a place to go or need a helping hand at all.  

“If anybody came in here, I don’t care whether they’re Army, Navy or Air Force. If they ask for help, I would be there and do the rally call to help them. Whatever they need,” he said.