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MATHESON HONOUR: ONE OF KINGSTON'S MOST DECORATED CITIZENS HAD YET ANOTHER HONOUR BESTOWED UPON HIM TODAY.

October 09, 2009

THE GATEWAY TO C-F-B KINGSTON NOW BEARS THE NAME OF RETIRED JUDGE JOHN MATHESON.

((Hutchins))

YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE NAME -- BUT HE'S CREDITED AS THE FATHER OF THE CANADIAN FLAG.

NEWSWATCH'S STU HAY REPORTS.

PKG

WHEN YOU USE THE TERM "LARGER THAN LIFE" -- IT CAN PROBABLY APPLY TO THIS MAN.

JOHN ROSS MATHESON OF KINGSTON.

BORN IN 1917, MATHESON HAS MADE HIS MARK AS A SOLDIER, POLITICIAN AND JUDGE.

AND NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER HONOUR TO PAY TRIBUTE TO HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

THIS GATE TO CFB KINGSTON PROUDLY BEARS HIS NAME.

FAWCETT

"JUDGE MATHESON HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON ALL CANADIANS.

BUT IN PARTICULAR THE MILITARY AND PARTICULARLY THE MILITARY HERE AT GARRISON KINGSTON.

SO IT'S GREAT HONOUR FOR US TO BE ABLE TO NAME THIS GATE AFTER HIM."

SHORTLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY IN 1940, MATHESON JOINED THE CANADIAN FORCES.

IT WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, AND MATHESON SOON FOUND HIMSELF FIGHTING HIS WAY ACROSS ITALY WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN HORSE ARTILLERY.

BUT ON DECEMBER 11TH 1943, HE WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED WHILE CROSSING THE MORO RIVER.

AND WITH THE HELP OF HIS SON, ALSO A DECORATED SOLDIER, MATHESON REMEMBERS HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS.

JOHN MATHESON

"I THINK OF SO MANY PEOPLE, GUNNERS, BOMBARDIERS, AND SO ON THAT SHOULD BE HERE.

I THINK OF BOB DONALD WHO HAD TO TAKE MY PLACE.

"AFTER YOU WERE BADLY WOUNDED AND BOB DONALD DIDN'T COME BACK."

NO BOB FOUGHT ALL DAY UNTIL HE WAS CUT IN 2."

WHILE RECOVERING IN HOSPITAL, MATHESON MET HIS WIFE EDITH.

THEY HAD SIX CHILDREN AND NOW 18 GRAND CHILDREN.

AFTER THE WAR, MATHESON PRACTICED LAW FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS BEFORE BEING ELECTED AS MP FOR THE COUNTY OF LEEDS IN 1961.

BUT PERHAPS HIS GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT CAME WHILE SERVING AS PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY IN THE LESTER PEARSON GOVERNMENT IN 1965.

HE BECAME KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF THE CANADIAN FLAG.... GETTING ALL PARTIES TO AGREE ON THE DESIGN OF THE RED AND WHITE MAPLE LEAF, AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.

RODERICK MATHESON

"IT WAS A TIME WHEN WE REALLY IDENTIFIED AS BEING A SOVEREIGN NATION THAT HAD GREAT EXCITEMENT IN OUR SPORTS, OUR DIPLOMACY.

REALLY IDENTIFYING OURSELVES INTERNATIONALLY.'

NOW APPROACHING HIS 92ND BIRTHDAY, MATHESON SAYS HE'S OVERWHELMED TO HAVE THE MILITARY BASE ENTRANCE NAMED IN HIS HONOUR.... ONE MORE CEREMONY IN A LONG LIST OF TRIBUTES TO A MAN WHO HELPED DEFINE THE CANADIAN IDENTITY.

STU HAY CKWS NEWSWATCH KINGSTON.

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