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A poppy engraved road sign of Gagnon Place.
Screen grab from Google Maps
In honour of our soldiers: Lionel Edmond Gagnon
By Samuel Cheng
Published 3:19 PST, Fri January 5, 2024
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In a series of Richmond’s ‘poppy’ street signs in memory of our fallen soldiers, we share the story of Gagnon Place.
Lionel Gagnon was born on December 10, 1918 in Vancouver. However, he attended elementary school in Richmond while residing at what used to be called RR1, Eburne.
When Gagnon was 14, his family relocated back to Vancouver in which he attended and graduated from Vancouver College in 1936. Upon graduation, Gagnon went on to work for the Royal Bank of Canada as a bank clerk, while participating and serving with a local militia, the 68th Field Battery R.C.A. located in Vancouver.
With the combination of serving in a militia and the outbreak of the Second World War, Gagnon decided to dedicate his time and life with the Canadian Armed Forces.
In September of 1941, Gagnon signed up with the Royal Canadian Air Force Special Reserve before being officially enlisted in the following year. Gagnon was sent straight to Brandon, Manitoba for training and received his flying badge in a year’s time.
He became a Flying Officer Pilot and was posted to the #1 Operational Training Unit situated in Bagtoville, Quebec. It was not long before a tragedy struck the Gagnon family when the brave soldier’s aircraft collided with another aircraft in mid-air.
Gagnon was killed on February 16, 1943, between St. Anne and St. Honore, Quebec. Gagnon was survived by his wife Mavis Cecile Kern and his body was brought back to the west coast and was buried at the Ocean View Burial Park in Burnaby.
To commemorate Gagnon’s valiant sacrifice in the war, the City of Richmond Council decided to name a road in his honour: Gagnon Place. Today, the road can be found located to the north of Bridgeport Road, between No.4 Road and Shell Road.
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