Soldiers in front of Queen's Hotel on Holland Street, taking a break on their long march to Fort York for their winter dwelling and training. The soldiers were stationed at Camp Borden, but lack of shelter and proper living conditions forced nearly 5000 troops to march from Barrie to Toronto in October 1917.

“Soldiers on the March
On Tuesday the first detachment of soldiers en route to Toronto arrived in Cookstown. About half-past two the citizens lined the streets to welcome the boys. At three o’clock, amidst great cheering, led be a band of pipers, the 48th Highlanders, after a bloodless skirmish with the Mounted Rifles of Hamilton, marched into town and encamped at the camp prepared for them by the C.A.S.C. on the Fair grounds. The ladies of Cookstown have undertaken to supply pies for the soldiers. On Tuesday everyone nobly responded, over one hundred and fifty pies were obtained.”

"Military Concert
A grand military concert was held in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening. This concert far surpassed anything Cookstown had seen before. The hall was crowded with a very enthusiastic audience, many of whom had to stand. Rev. W. Creswick presided, and Lieut. White at the piano. Some of the leading items on the programme were given by Pte. MacDonald, who imitated a brass band in his throat. Pte. Gant, slack wire artist, won great applause, and Pte. Pass, comedian, was very much enjoyed also. After the concert supper was given to the entertainers."

Frank Whiteside with a fellow soldier at the Niagara Falls training area during World War I.

Photograph of Jack Sutherland's grave site in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery in Sandgate, Eng. Jack was the son of Alexander and Elizabeth Sutherland who ran Sutherland’s Bakery and Grocery. He was the nephew of Bessie Campbell. Jack served in the First World War and was killed in action in 1917.

Photograph of John A. Collis, soldier from World War II. John was born on October 14th, 1915 in Lowville, Ontario to parents George and Florence May Collis. He later married Dorothy Ruby in Bradford, Ontario and had a daughter, Joan Yvonne Collis, and a son, John Neill Collis. He was killed in action on July 25th, 1944 in Caen, France, and is buried in the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France.

Sgt. Pilot Scott Neilly, Flight Instructor for the R.C.A.F. He died during the Second World War in a training accident in New Brunswick on May 28, 1942.

Baldwin H.W. Stoddart was a Sergeant of the 48th Highlanders of Canada during World War II.

Jesse Turton, son of Roy and Hannah Turton (nee Harvey), who served in World War II.

Photograph of Flight Sergeant Hedley G. Dimock of the RCAF, who died June 26, 1944 in a take-off accident in India.