First World War Soldier from Sharbot Lake Remembered

Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington is honouring a fallen soldier from the First World War for Remembrance Day. Private Edward Nelson Badour of Sharbot Lake, Ontario, was killed November 17, 1917 and has no known grave.

Part of the ongoing Soldier of the Great War project that began last year, the Agency tells the story of the life and death of the Sharbot Lake soldier who fought with the 20th Battalion and was wounded, captured and later died of his wounds at the Battle of Passchendaele.

“We’re a community agency that has been helping children and families for more than 121 years,” said John Suart, Manager, Community Relations. “Soldiers like Private Badour deserve to be remembered on Remembrance Day. It was a story that was worth telling and we’re proud to have told it in Soldier of the Great War.”

The Agency worked with local historian Al Lloyd and the Sharbot Lake Legion to find the complete story of Badour, including his original enlistment papers, pictures of his family and more. They even tracked down two nephews of Badour in Sharbot Lake, one who appears on video talking about the sacrifice his family made in both of Canada’s world wars. Assistance was also provided by The War Graves Photographic Project and the Commonwealth Graves Commission.

“Before, this soldier was just a name on a plaque. We’ve managed to bring him to life,” said Suart. “He was a real person. And that’s worth remembering on Remembrance Day.”

Soldier of the Great War is available online for anyone to see and share at RememberKFLA.ca.

The site also features the complete video and document collection of last year’s Solider of the Great War project, which honoured Kingston native Captain Stanley Cunningham.

“We invite everyone to share and remember together this soldier and all Canada’s war dead this Remembrance Day.”