Elsie Kennedy and Lynda

Lynda was two months old when we arrived, courtesy of the Canadian Government on the ship called Empire Brent; this ship had been re-named from the name of H.M.S. Letitia and had been used as a hospital ship during the Second World War. We landed in Halifax around September 28, 1946 together with 1800 War Brides and children.

I had married Chris J. Kennedy whilst he was stationed in Britain, in August 1945 and Lynda was born in July 1946. Chris was in the R.C.A.F. and stationed in London where I was stationed in the A.T.S. (British Army).

I came from Lindfield, Sussex, England and the journey took 15 days from the time I left the village until I actually arrived in Toronto, Ontario.

Lynda is now married with three boys: Cameron, Alan and Andrew. Cameron has one child, a daughter Elizabeth. I live in Sidney, on Vancouver Island. Canada has been a wonderful place to me, from the time I first stepped on the train at Halifax Pier until the present day. I still remember that wonderful train journey through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, with the scarlet maple leaves and the blue water of the lakes and those lovely little white churches in Quebec. And Toronto, which in those days had lovely old streets with maple trees which formed an arch over the roadway. Thank you Canada.