62nd (Shawinigan) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
Encyclopedia
The 62nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA is a militia unit of the Canadian Army that has its own military band
and is located in Shawinigan, Quebec
. It recruits primarily in Shawinigan, Joliette and Victoriaville.
in 1912 and relocated in Shawinigan, Mauricie
in 1936.
and the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1944. In 1944-45, the 81st Battery contributed to the Allies
' effort in the Normandy Landings, which led to the Liberation of France.
capacity.
A substantial number of the 62nd Regiment reservist
s attend Collège Shawinigan
.
Every year on Remembrance Day
weekend, members of the regiment gather near the Monument des Braves
cenotaph
and conduct a ceremony to commemorate soldiers who died on the field of honour. They also parade in the streets of downtown Shawinigan and Grand-Mère
.
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
and is located in Shawinigan, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. It recruits primarily in Shawinigan, Joliette and Victoriaville.
Origin
Its oldest and most notable subunit is the 81st Field Artillery Battery, which was founded in the Eastern TownshipsEstrie
The Estrie is an administrative region of Quebec that overlaps mostly the Eastern Townships. Estrie, a French neologism, was coined as a derivative of est, "east."...
in 1912 and relocated in Shawinigan, Mauricie
Mauricie
Mauricie is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,855.22 km² and a 2006 census population of 258,928 residents...
in 1936.
World War II
The battery was called to active duty during World War II. Its members were trained in OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1944. In 1944-45, the 81st Battery contributed to the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
' effort in the Normandy Landings, which led to the Liberation of France.
Anti-aircraft Unit
In 1946-48, members of the Shawinigan-based C Company of the Régiment de Joliette joined those of the 81st Battery to form the 62nd Regiment. From that moment until 1961, the newly formed unit served in an anti-aircraftAnti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
capacity.
Field artillery
Since 1961, the regiment has been a field artillery unit. Its equipment consists of 105 mm towed howitzers. Its armoury is currently located at 5315 Boulevard Royal, Shawinigan.A substantial number of the 62nd Regiment reservist
Reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...
s attend Collège Shawinigan
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
.
Every year on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
weekend, members of the regiment gather near the Monument des Braves
Monument des Braves, Shawinigan
The Monument des Braves is a cenotaph located in Shawinigan, Quebec. It was completed in 1948, when François Roy was mayor. The monument is located in downtown Shawinigan at the intersection of Fourth Street and Promenade du Saint-Maurice near the Saint-Maurice River.It was designed by...
cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
and conduct a ceremony to commemorate soldiers who died on the field of honour. They also parade in the streets of downtown Shawinigan and Grand-Mère
Grand-Mère, Quebec
Grand Mère is a settlement and former municipality in central Quebec, Canada on the Saint-Maurice River. As a result of the municipal reorganization in Quebec which took effect at the beginning of 2002, Grand-Mère now forms part of the City of Shawinigan. Population in 2001 was...
.
Contributions since World War II
Even though the 62nd Regiment has not served in active duty since World War II, it provided personnel for a number of operations, including:- United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)United Nations Peacekeeping Force in CyprusThe United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions...
; - the Oka CrisisOka CrisisThe Oka Crisis was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada which began on July 11, 1990 and lasted until September 26, 1990. At least one person died as a result...
in MontérégieMontérégieMontérégie is an administrative region in southwest Québec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Granby, Longueuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Vaudreuil-Dorion....
; - United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR)United Nations Protection ForceThe United Nations Protection Force ', was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. It existed between the beginning of UN involvement in February 1992, and its restructuring into other forces in March 1995...
in Former YugoslaviaFormer YugoslaviaThe former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
; - the War in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
.
Well-known members
Well-known members of the regiment are:- Gabriel Chrétien, brother of Prime MinisterPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean ChrétienJean ChrétienJoseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
; - Jacques DuchesneauJacques DuchesneauJacques Duchesneau, CM is a French Canadian civil servant and former Chief of Police.He holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the École nationale d'administration publique and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Université de Montréal...
, Chief of PoliceChief of policeA Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
of the Montreal Urban CommunityService de police de la Ville de MontréalThe Service de police de la Ville de Montréal is the police force for the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With about 4,400 officers and 1,600 civilian staff, it is the second largest municipal police agency in Canada after the Toronto Police Service and second largest in the province behind the...
from 1994 to 1998 and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment since 2005; - Gérard DufresneGérard Dufresne (Shawinigan)Gérard Dufresne was a well-known local politician and a military officer in Shawinigan, Quebec.Born in East Angus, Quebec, Eastern Townships in 1918, he got a degree from the Shawinigan Technical Institute and would later make career as an insurance agent....
, MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Shawinigan from 1963 to 1966 and Honorary Colonel of the regiment from 1966 to 2005; - Yves DuhaimeYves DuhaimeYves Duhaime is a former politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as Cabinet Member and Member of the National Assembly of Quebec.-Early life:Duhaime was born in Chicoutimi, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and grew up in Shawinigan, Mauricie....
, ProvincialProvinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
Cabinet MemberExecutive Council of QuebecThe Executive Council of Quebec is the cabinet of the government of Quebec, Canada....
from 1976Quebec general election, 1976The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled only by the 1960 general election, and caused major repercussions in the rest of Canada...
to 1985Quebec general election, 1985The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
; - Jean-Pierre Frigon, history teacher at Saint-TiteSaint-Tite, QuebecSaint-Tite is a town in Quebec province, Canada, north of Trois-Rivières; its name is the French name for Saint Titus. Its chief industries are forestry and leather production. It is best known, though, for the Festival Western de Saint-Tite, which developed from a rodeo inaugurated in 1967 to...
's Paul-Le Jeune High School and recipient of the Governor General's Award - Antonio LamerAntonio LamerJoseph Antonio Charles Lamer, PC, CC, CD was a Canadian lawyer, jurist and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.-Personal life:...
(1933–2007), Chief Justice of CanadaChief Justice of CanadaThe Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
from 1990 to 2000 and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment from 1992 to 1998; - Victoriaville native Yannick Pépin (1973–2009), who reached the rank of Master BombardierMaster CorporalMaster Corporal , in the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Army Cadets is an appointment of the rank of Corporal in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Airforce...
with the 62nd Regiment in the 1990s, before joining the 5 Combat Engineer Regiment5 Combat Engineer Regiment5 Combat Engineer Regiment is a regular force regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers commanded by a lieutenant-colonel...
(Major Pépin died in the line of duty while commanding a unit in the War in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
); - Ben WeiderBen WeiderBenjamin "Ben" Weider, was the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness along with brother Joe Weider...
(1923–2008), Co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuildersInternational Federation of BodyBuildersThe International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
(IFBB), Jewish businessman from MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Honorary Colonel of the regiment from 2005 until his death in 2008.