person. But that is what thousands of European women did during the Second World War — Canada’s war brides.So in honour of these brave women, in conjunction with Historic Lethbridge week,The Galt Museum is presenting a special talk featuring Calgary based speaker Bev Tosh, tomorrow (Wednesday), May 5, at 7 p.m.
Tosh has been immortalizing these women in portraits for the past 10 years and has been sharing their stories all over Canada, the U.S and even New Zealand for the past five years.
“My mother was a war bride,” said the New Zealand born artist, who has received numerous accolades for her work including the Woman of Vision Award from Global Television and the YWCA, the Alberta Centennial Medal, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award of Excellence (in recognition of exceptional achievement in art) by the Board of Governors of the Alberta College of Art & Design.
“Many of them fell in love with and married Canadian servicemen stationed all over the United Kingdom and some in Holland and France,” she said adding she has met with and completed portraits of over 100 of them. During her talks, she will share some of the stories form these women while showing slides of the portraits.
“The government paid to bring these women here in ‘Bride Ships’ on which they were passengers on ships which carried troops over there. It was a one way passage,” she said.“I love being able to tell their stories. My presentation shows how my work have evolved with the War Brides’ journeys since I began talking to them. Some of them came alone, others came with young children with them. I love all of the stories of their lives,” Tosh said adding each presentation she does is focussed on local war brides.
“I’ve never done this talk in Lethbridge but I’ve spoken with a lot of Lethbridge and southern Albertan war brides,” she said.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat editor
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