NEWSLETTER

AUGUST 2020


THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Dalai Lama

 

WINNIPEG REUNION:

Our 15th RCAF Airwomen's reunion will take place in Winnipeg from Tuesday, May 25th to Thursday, May 27th in 2021. The venue will be held at the Airport Hilton Suites located at 1800 Wellington Avenue.

Winnipeg Trivia:

Winnipeg is the eighth largest city in Canada and rich in culture.  With an ethnically diverse population, Winnipeg is characterized by slow but steady growth.  Home to the ballet and symphony, Winnipeg hosts numerous annual summer festivals including the Festival du Voyageur, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival and Folklorama.

This is the link to the registration form for Reunion 15 in Winnipeg. For a printable copy (PDF) of the registration or newsletter, please contact Leah Mosher.

Hotel Bookings: The Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites is ready to accept bookings for Reunion 15. We have a group rate for May 22-29 of $139 per night.


Guests can make reservations online here. Please note that you have to “edit stay” when booking. Otherwise when you “book a room”, the site assumes you want to book May 22-29.

You can also call in to the Hotel’s Reservations Department locally at 204-783-1700 or Toll free at 1- 800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667). You must specify the Airwomen's Reunion 15 when reserving to access negotiated rates of $139 per night. 

 

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Hello Ladies,
   
Less than 10 months until Reunion 15! Time is going by fast. If you want to know more contact us here.

Regarding Covid 19, several provinces have cautiously opened more businesses and relaxed some "bubble" rules. We continue to monitor this situation closely and if Covid 19 affects our planned dates for Reunion 15, we will postpone until it’s safe to proceed. In the meantime, we are not requiring a $50 registration deposit. Also any hotel room bookings can be cancelled up to 24 hours prior to arrival. 

When we do request payment, please note that a password is NOT required when doing an e-transfer. 

Polo/Vest Update: We have 6 Vests and 8 polos on wait list and can not put in an order until we have 12 of each/either.  Please send an email to confirm if you are on the waitlist or not.
 
Veteran’s Service Card: All Canadian Armed Forces Veterans may now apply for the new Veteran’s Service Card. "As of Monday, June 29, 2020, production and distribution of the Veteran’s Service Card will resume in a limited capacity. Given the ongoing pandemic and the precautionary measures still in force to help prevent its spread, we ask for your continued patience as we work as diligently as possible in processing applications." 

You are eligible to receive a Veteran’s Service Card if you have:

  • completed basic training and
  • been honourably released from the Canadian Armed Forces.

To apply online:  https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/benefits-military/transition/service-card.html
Or you can use the direct link to the form itself. Remember to submit a photo with the application.  https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/dnd-mdn/documents/military-benefits/20190919-vsc-application-form-dnd-9036-e.pdf
 
Finally, we have been updating the names of the attendees on the Reunion Picture pages. Please take a look and let us know if you know any of the “Unknown” ladies, or if we have misspelled your name. Thank you.

 

STAMP COLLECTING FOR CHARITY:  

Please keep sending your stamps. If you have any questions, please phone Flo at 403-475-6738 or e-mail flobobreid@shaw.ca

To see details about the preparation of the stamps, click here

We donate these stamps to Oxfam Canada. To find out more about Oxfam click here

 

WOMEN IN THE NEWS: 

Lieutenant-General Christine WhitecrossCanada's top military female is retiring after 38 years in the RCAF. Lt-Gen Whitecross has been a career advocate for women in the Air Force and in many other walks of life. For those who attended Reunion 14, you will remember her inspiring speech in which she praised our members for paving the way so women like her could have the career they did. Since 2016, she has been the Commandant of the Nato Defense College in Rome, Italy. To read the article, click here

Mollie BivinMollie joined the RCAF in the 1950s, as a Finance Clerk. Originally from England, she also did a stint in the New Zealand Air Force, before coming to Canada. She currently lives in Shidler, Oklahoma. In 1981, she and her late husband, Ray  moved onto six acres of virtually untouched prairie.  There, they built their home and "began a labor of love that now includes over 40 flower beds, 35 species of roses, and hundreds of trees and shrubs." Until recently, Mollie was also an active member of the Shidler Chamber of Commerce and past president. To learn more about the Bivin Garden click here


If you (or any of the ladies you know) have had articles written about you, no matter how minor, please let us know. Maybe you have an experience that you believe should have been published. Reply here


COMMENTS AND REQUESTS:

There are no comments or requests at this time.


LAST POST:

As the members of the committee update the nominal roll, we are discovering that some of our members have been with the angels for several years. They are included in our monthly newsletters as we find them.  

  

Last Name   

First Name            Maiden Name       Date of Death     Age    City             

   Prov  

Dewling Joan Mabel   Unknown 15 Jul 2020     89 North Bay ON
Green Florence Elvina "Flo"    Smith 19 Jun 2020     86 Hodge's Cove    NL
Johnson MaryEllen Clair Livingston 20 May 2020     84 Lethbridge    AB
Waid Elaine Woodward 5 Jun 2020     86 Penticton BC

If you have a notification of a member who has died, please let us know here so that we can add their name to our Last Post. Thank you. 

 

BIRTHDAYS:

A “Very Happy Birthday” to our August Birthday ladies. Click here for the listing. 

If your birthday is missing from this list it is because we don't have it. Please click on the Change Information form to add something or make corrections. 

 

YOUR COMMITTEE:

Tracey Everett - Chair

Leah Mosher - Vice-Chair/Newsletter

Claire Williams - Treasurer

Pat Brennan - Chair, Winnipeg Committee