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A poppy engraved road sign of Finlayson Drive.
Screen grab from Google Maps
In honour of our soldiers: Graham Alexander Finlayson
By Samuel Cheng
Published 2:18 PDT, Wed October 25, 2023
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In a series of Richmond’s ‘poppy’ street signs in memory of our fallen soldiers, we share the story of Finlayson Drive and Finlayson Court.
Graham Alexander Finlayson was born in 1917 and was a resident of Richmond for a number of years before moving to Vancouver. He attended various schools throughout his adolescent years, including graduating from Lord Byng High School.
Lord Byng High School, or what is today called Lord Byng Secondary School, is one of the oldest schools in Vancouver. The year of 1925 marked the official opening of what is now an almost century-old school. It was named after a hero of Vimy Ridge, who was also the Governor General of Canada at the time—Julian Hedworth George Byng.
The school had undergone several mergers with other educational facilities as well as building upgrades throughout the years. In 2005, a new library, gymnasium, gallery, studio, and classrooms were added to the school.
The motto of Lord Byng Secondary school is “Custos Morum”, which translates to “Guardian of Morals”, and the mascot of the school is the Grey Ghost.
Upon graduation from the school in 1936, Finlayson returned to Scotland to pursue his career before accepting a job opportunity in Singapore. During this time, Finlayson worked at a rubber plantation in Asia when World War II broke out.
It was at this time that Finlayson decided to join the 3rd Battalion of 16th Punjabi Regiment. He fought valiantly before being killed on February 10, 1942 during the defense of Singapore.
Today, Finlayson Drive and Finlayson Court can be found to the north of. Bridgeport Road, between No. 4 and Shell Road.
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