A special gift of Maple Syrup from home.
"1914::British Columbia's Soldiers Enjoying Their Gift of Maple Syrup"
Photo Clip: Daily Record (1914)
Lanarkshire, Scotland
In December 1914, Canadian soldiers enduring their first war-torn Christmas on the Western Front received an unexpected gift from home. Canada's Duchess of Connaught had rushed 12,000 pounds of genuine Canadian Maple Syrup overseas, hoping each soldier would receive his share by Christmas morning. Thrilled about their tasty gift from home, the soldiers helped the Duchess by distributing the supply among themselves as quickly as possible.
"1907::Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught née Princess of Prussia (1860-1917)"
Photo: (Public Domain)
The Duchess was married to the Duke of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria and the first member of the Royal Family to become Governor General of Canada. In every way, the Duke and Duchess were big fans of their young adopted country. They had travelled coast to coast twice by train, sailing to Victoria at the far outpost of Vancouver Island and attending Calgary's first official Stampede in 1912, winning many hearts along their journey.
"1916::Duchess of Connaught's Canadian Hospital"
Clip: Victoria Dail Times (1916)
Victoria, British Columbia
In 1914, at the beginning of the Great War, the Duchess' health began to deteriorate. Ignoring her need for rest, she forged ahead and set up fundraisers in her name to benefit Canadian soldiers serving overseas. She arranged places for soldiers to convalesce on her wealthy friends' estates, upgraded existing hospitals and purchased ambulances throughout Europe to service Canadian soldiers. She was untiring in her war contribution and was greatly respected for her effort. By 1916, however, her health was of great concern. Rumours began circulating that her husband had retired as Governor General to return his ailing wife to Britain. At least there, she would be far away from Canada's harsh winters and, more importantly, from her tireless fundraising work. However, the Duchess found she could accomplish more for Canadian soldiers from her familiar British soil. She devoted her final days to alleviating the conditions faced by Canadian Prisoners of War in Germany by writing to officials as President of the Canadian Red Cross Society. She did not live to see the war's end and died of influenza on March 14, 1917, just weeks after her return to Britain from Canada.