Ahead of Remembrance Day, one Montreal church is holding on to a piece of history. On Sherbrooke Street West in downtown Montreal, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul looks like any other church, but take a step inside, and the walls tell a different story. “All of a sudden, you realize that this church is adorned with military history,” said Verdun city councilor Sterling Downey. It’s home to the Black Watch, one of Canada’s oldest Highland regiments. Its history spans more than 160 years, and it’s based in Montreal. Downey is a member. “Our colours are hanging here in the church,” he said. “Since the beginning of our regiment, the stained glass window in the back, you’ll see, has a World War I Black Watch soldier in the window with our crest. Our regiment’s attachment to this church is extremely deep.” The names of soldiers are all over the walls, including John McCrae, who wrote “In Flanders Fields.” The poem continues to be a part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada and other countries around the world. “In 1914, he was studying and practicing medicine in Montreal; he was a member of this congregation of this church, so John McCrae actually was here,” said Downey. The church holds two annual events: a parade in May with members of the regiment wearing their distinctive uniforms, and a Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday. “It draws many people who aren’t regular church attendees,” said Reverend Glenn Chesnutt. “This may be the only time in the year that they may decide to come into church, and some of those people are veterans.” For the Verdun councillor, the church’s history is personal. His father was also a member of the Black Watch. Downey has carried on that service, enlisting in the Canadian Armed Forces at age 50. “What it taught me about myself is that there is no giving up,” he said. “There is just moving forward.”
