Pictured right: Pam, at Veterans Memorial Lodge.
Pam Belanger, born on June 14, 1924, grew up as an only child in the small town of Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan. At a young age, Pam ventured beyond her hometown to pursue education, first at a boarding school and later a secretarial school in North Battleford.
In her late teens, it was a chance encounter during a Saturday outing with a school friend that the course of Pam’s life changed. They stumbled upon a recruiting office showcasing a female model in a military uniform. Intrigued, they entered the office and accepted the recruiting officer’s offer to try on the uniform to see what they thought. “Next thing I knew we were off to Regina!” Pam chuckles. She had joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (C.W.A.C.). However, her friend backed out before swearing in, leaving Pam to embark on her own journey. Following additional testing in Regina, Pam traveled by train to Vermilion, Alberta, for basic training, where she eagerly received her uniform.
After basic training, Pam completed an administrative course in Edmonton before being reassigned to Little Mountain, Vancouver, where she worked in the Pay Corps. Her duties included interviewing soldiers to determine how much of their pay they wished to allocate to their families. She recalls telling one of the soldiers, “by the time you give all this away, you’re not going to have anything to spend,” giving a portion to his wife and some to his mother, among others. He responded, “I won’t be using it anyways.” Thanks to previous education, Pam excelled in her role, typing at a rate of around one hundred words per minute on her Remington Rand typewriter. Additionally, she participated in promoting the sale of war bonds. She and a few other female counterparts would parade the Vancouver streets with flags. Pam remembers seeing people being brought to tears by the women parading with flags, being reminded of the ongoing war and the effects it had on their loved ones.
The saddest part of Pam’s job was when the work with a unit was complete. At nine o’clock in the evening, their duffle bags would be all lined up, and when she returned in the morning, the bags were gone. Pam knew the men were destined for the front.
During her service, Pam met Jack Belanger, a fellow member of the Pay Corps stationed at Little Mountain. Initially finding him “a pain in the butt,” their relationship blossomed, and they married in 1944. Pam left the military when she became pregnant. “Back then you couldn’t be pregnant or have children and be in the military. Once they knew of my pregnancy, that was it: I was out.” Because of her abrupt departure, she was never properly awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and 39-45 War Medal for her service.
Pam’s husband was still out east when the war was declared over. She remembers watching the owner of the local radio station hop on top of his car, and recalls the excitement which ensued on the streets.
Pam and Jack have three children, two girls, and one boy. Jack remained in the military for several years after the war, and the two settled in New Westminster to raise their family. In 1947 Jack retired from the military and then worked for the Provincial Government in Victoria until 1982. The two enjoyed almost 26 retirement years together, until Jack passed away in 2008.
Last fall, at the remarkable age of 99, Pam relocated to Veterans Memorial Lodge. Recently, during a visit to the Lodge by Naval officers SLt Willis McCullough-Messom and SLt Gordon Emerslund, along with teacher Beau Harper, they learned of Pam’s missing medals. (Photo, right)
Recognizing the significance of her wartime sacrifice, they arranged a small presentation to award her missing medals on February 25th, 2024.
Pam’s war time sacrifices helped ensure we have the freedom we have today. It is our honour to serve Pam while she lives at Veterans Memorial Lodge, a Broadmead Care Home.
*** On July 12th, 2024, at the age of 100, Pam passed away peacefully at Veterans Memorial Lodge, a Broadmead Care Home. It was our honour to serve Pam during her time living at the Lodge, and to have the opportunity to learn more about her remarkable life story.
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