In a province that boosts 100,000 lakes, over 4,200 bodies of water and other geographical features have been named for fallen soldiers who served from the First World War up to and including the conflict in Afghanistan.
Bestowing honours such as these on the province’s fallen began in July 1947, when the government of Manitoba named 25 lakes after 26 men who lost their lives on active service in the Second World War.
This principle continues to this day; just earlier this year a group of 13 northern lakes, near Pukatawagan, were named after soldiers who died in the First World War. Since 2007, at least six have been named in memory of Afghan vets.
Many families of soldiers honoured in this way feel grateful and humbled by the respect bared by a geographical naming. So much so that they want to see the lake, commune in nature with their fallen relative and perhaps leave a memento of their own to observe the tribute.
As most of these lakes are in obscure locations, getting to them is only possible by air. Such was the case close to 25 years ago, when Joseph Pethybridge hired Gogal Air out of Snow Lake and flew to Pethybridge Lake. While there, Mr. Pethybridge placed a cairn memorializing his brother, whom the lake was named for.
Pethybridge Lake sits between Morton and Woosey Lakes to the southwest of Snow Lake. It was named in 1973 after World War II casualty Sergeant William "Jack" Pethybridge who was born in Carman, Manitoba and lived in the Elmwood district of Winnipeg. He served in the RCAF 405th Halifax Pathfinders Squadron and was shot down June 9, 1942, while flying over Germany.
Twenty-five years after the "Pethybridge Cairn" was originally placed, three generations of first-born Pethybridge men were back in Snow Lake to pay homage to their fallen family member. Sargent Pethybridge’s namesake nephew, Jack Pethybridge from Burlington, Ontario, his great nephew Chris Pethybridge who lives in Edmonton, and his great-great nephew (Chris’s son) Eric Pethybridge made the trip.
Speaking with the three at Gogal’s dock the morning they flew out to the lake, their plan was simple: fly to the lake, find the cairn and after several moments of reflection and a few photos, travel back to Snow Lake and home from there.
Well, simple plans seldom work out the way they are surmised. After landing at the lake and taxiing to the spot where the cairn was originally placed, it was nowhere to be seen. A cursory check in other locations didn’t turn up anything either. However, the sharp eyes of pilot Brad Gogal did see something glint under the surface near the first spot they’d checked and after wading into the water, it turned out to be the cairn. Apparently there is something to be said about the tolls 25 years of weather and wave action takes upon an item placed on the shore.
Nevertheless, the Pethybridges had their time of reflection, snapped several photos and returned first to Snow Lake, then back home.
Of note, Gogal Air has flown other families in to do the same thing that Joseph Pethybridge did back on August 20, 1992. Most notably, the Lalor family’s placing of the cairn on Lalor Lake honouring Pilot Officer Fintan H. Lalor in 1996.
