A momentous event in Orillia's history was celebrated Sunday as the Fairmile monument was unveiled at the waterfront.
Under heavy clouds, high winds and a rain burst, the Orillia branch of Royal Canadian Legion hosted the ceremony at Veterans' Memorial Park, while spectators held the poles of the shelter down.
Master of Ceremonies Rob McCron welcomed everyone to the event with a nod to special guest, 97-year-old Norm Johnstone, of Rochester, NY.
"He is the only living worker who survived the Fairmile explosion," said McCron to a round of applause for Johnstone.
Orillia's Hunter Boats, then situated on the shore where Veterans' Park now sits, was commissioned to build seven Fairmile torpedo ships to protect Canadian waters during the Second World War after German U-boats were spotted in the St. Lawrence River.
The multi-purpose Fairmiles were small, at 112 feet in length, with a crew of 16 or 17. They could reach speeds of 20 knots and had a range of 1,900 miles. The ships were made of mahogany with metal strappings and an oak keel. They were equipped with sonar, radar and wireless technology.
The seventh ship built on the Orillia waterfront was to be deployed Oct. 14, 1943.
Stanley Peacock, 16, and Norm Johnstone were two of the electrical apprentices working on the ship on that fateful day, Oct. 13. Apparently a leak was discovered and the crew was looking for the source of the leak when the engine room caught fire and exploded.
"I was one of the seven people aboard the Fairmile on Oct. 13 when the engine room exploded," said Johnstone when he got his turn at the podium.
"The engine room mechanics were working overtime that night. We came back and smelled gasoline," he said.
"Peacock was the one looking down the hole when it blasted, so he caught the brunt of it all," Johnstone told OrilliaMatters. He was found deceased on the beach the next day. Peacock was the only person to die in the explosion. Six others were injured, including Johnstone.
Current Orillia Fire Chief Michael Clark said history notes "the explosion was heard all over town."
Responding to the call was volunteer firefighter Daniel McLeash in the 1923 LaFrance fire truck and Captain Elgin Jones who ran to the scene from his nearby home.
Hunter boats had two buildings. Nearby was Imperial Oil's four storage tanks, a wooden wharf and a series of boathouses and boat businesses.
Royal Canadian Navy warrant electrician Ernest Wooding had already saved two of the injured workers prior to the arrival of firefighters.
"Jones and MacLeish advanced a hose line, looking for survivors," said Clark. "They proceeded below deck where the engine was a mass of flames. MacLeish controlled the flames while Jones, a plumber by trade, shut off the leaking fuel, preventing further loss of life and property."
The monument, designed and built by Stephen Sanderson of Signature Memorials in Orillia, includes script that both firefighters were awarded King George Medals "for their bravery which controlled the fire and saved Orillia's waterfront from further destruction."
Wooding also received the Albert Medal for bravery for saving two of his comrades during the fire.
It was also noted during the ceremony that the Q116 Fairmile ship was rebuilt and put into service the next year.
The anniversary of Peacock's death is remembered by his close friends and family year after year at his grave site. But rather than the remembrance becoming smaller over the years, it grew in size.
McCron became interested and wrote an article about him. In discussion with other legion members, they decided a story was not enough. They wanted a monument. It took two-and-a-half years of effort to make it happen.
Descendants of Hunter Boat employees and Stanley Peacock's family were in attendance Sunday when the monument was unveiled.
"This is something we as a family always remember. It's really special that this story is being told to a greater audience and that this story will live on with this monument," said Kyle Peacock, Stanley Peacock's great nephew.
After the service, many people came up to 97-year-old Johnstone thanking him for his service.
"I'm flabbergasted," he said with a laugh.
One of those people excited to talk to Johnstone was Catherine (Heighington) Trudeau. Her father, Russell Heighington, was an electrician on the Fairmile and Johnstone's and Peacock's boss.
“We knew our dad was on the boat. He was one of the six injured. He survived. He lost one eye and had some bone structures redone," she said.
"It was so nice to meet Norm because dad knew him," she said beside her two sisters, Wendy and Caroline, who had all travelled from different towns to the service.
