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WWII Veteran’s 70th year residing in Fort St. James

J.K. Johnson moved here from Calgary in 1947 and never looked back
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J.K. Johnson lives with his wife Irene in a bungalow on Stones Bay Drive overlooking the scenic Stuart Lake. At 92 years old Johnson has lived in Fort St. James for 70 years. Not many non-indigenous people can beat that record.Johnson is also one of the last living veterans of WWII in the province, if not the country. Born in 1925 in Calgary, Johnson enlisted in the Canadian military in September 1943, towards the end of the conflict, after returning to Alberta from California where he had been living and studying aircraft mechanics. “I guess I shouldn't have [joined] really, because I had a job in Minneapolis, Minnesota.”Enlisting in the air forceJohnson’s patriotism got the better of him and he made his way back up to Canada to enlist. “It was take the job in [the U.S.] or go home and join the armed forces.” Johnson originally tried to join the navy. I went into the navy recruiting office and they weren’t recruiting at that time,” Johnson said. “Right next door was the air force, I went in and joined.”Radio Operator to Flight OfficerJohnson initially trained as a radio operator for an aircraft gunnery before training as a navigator and finally, upon discharge in September 1945, a Flight Officer. During his military career Johnson was stationed throughout western Canada in cities such as Edmonton, Saskatoon and Calgary, he was never deployed overseas.Young people: enlist!Johnson remembers his service years with fondness, urging young men and women to continue to enlist, saying he enjoyed every minute that he was there. Johnson said he would strongly suggest that any young man [or woman] who is more or less at loose ends should join the services. The navy, army, air force, whatever. It’s a great experience. Johnson served until the end of the war when he was discharged.Settling in Fort St. JamesAfter the war he studied in Calgary for a few years before deciding that he was too much of an outdoors man to be stuck behind a desk. It was then that he made the trip to Fort St. James in 1947. Married on his birthday to his wife Irene, from Smithers, in 1953, Johnson and Irene have five children: Kevin, Brett, Royce, Janine and Marilyn who they raised in Fort St. James.Building the LegionEver the patriot, Johnson set about organising and building the town’s first Legion building. “I was involved with the Legion right from the beginning,” Johnson says.In an account he wrote down Johnson details the stages of the building’s creation with the help of volunteer labour well as the Legion’s first celebration in 1970. Johnson played a critical role in the Legion’s operations over the years, but in his old age he had to step back from the veterans organisation. “My conscience bothers me a bit because at one time I was very active in the Legion and now I’m taking a back seat.”He says the Fort St. James Legion gradually begun to go downhill because of low membership, financial woes and “a sign of the times.”Johnson recounted his first experiences in Fort St. James in the late 40’s in a memoir he wrote.Recollections of town in 1947“I first arrived on May 20, 1947 from Calgary in a civilian Jeep with partner Percy Start. My first stop was Illerbruns Home Oil Garage, formerly Hi Lopers Blacksmith and later Armunds Garage and now Kal Tire. Second stop was Wise Mikes Social Hall bunkhouse run by Louie Vasse and Florence McGiveney – at the present site of Mr. G and the old Credit Union. Stayed two weeks. Then rented a small cabin from Illerbrun. Bought 3 lots from Hudson Bay Co. across from the garage and contracted Thomas Murdoch to build four small log cabins for an auto court to be called Evergreen Villa. First visitors while doing this were Earl Buck on horseback and Bob Ubiles delivering milk. In 1948 I built a small cabin for the office and residence.– with files from J.K Johnson’s memoir and an interview with Jesse Cole, Caledonia Courier editor/reporter in 2014
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J.K. Johsnon in 1965. Photo submitted
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J.K. Johnson in July 1991. Photo submitted
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