Plaque unveiled to honour late veteran, fallen cadet
A plaque was unveiled at Veterans' Memorial Park Sunday morning to honour the friend of a cadet who died in a historic Orillia tragedy.
October 13, 2024, marked 81 years since Stanley Peacock died in the Fairmile Q116 explosion. The 16-year-old served as an electrician's helper apprentice in Orillia's Royal Canadian Air Cadet 99 Squadron, helping build Fairmile warships during World War II.
On October 13, 1943, Peacock was performing maintenance on the Fairmile Q116 when a gas leak led to an explosion that killed him, burned three men and injured six others.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Late Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) veteran Raywin Raaflaub was a close friend of Peacock's and made a big push to recognize the fallen cadet.
"He went to the MP, the MPP went to Ottawa, went all over the place to get somebody to recognize that [Peacock] was a member of 441 (Huronia)," said Rick Purcell, president of Orillia Legion Branch 34. "The fact that a volunteer, a citizen of Orillia, died, we thought was very important. So we fought for this for three years."
A monument commemorating Peacock was unveiled at Veterans' Memorial Park this past June, and on Sunday, a plaque was unveiled in front of it to commemorate Raaflaub.
"Ray Raaflaub went to cadets with Stan Peacock, went to school with Stan Peacock and joined the Air Force," added Purcell. "He was really the driving force of us getting this monument done."
Sunday morning's remembrance ceremony to unveil the Raaflaub plaque was attended by members of the Orillia Legion, other veterans, and Raaflaub's daughters, Lisa Day and Debbie Leach.
"My dad and Stanley Peacock were best friends," said Day. "He always wanted Stanley to be recognized for his service, and so for him, this would be such a great honour."
Day and Leach unveiled the Raaflaub plaque and laid wreaths at the site.
"I just respect how long [he served]," said Leach. "The dedication and hours that he put in – volunteer hours – I admired that."
There will be a second memorial on Tuesday at the gravesites of Raaflaub and Peacock, which will be attended by additional members of the RCAF.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. woman sentenced for stealing $14K in funds raised for schoolkids
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Trump expected to name Marco Rubio secretary of state, reports say
Donald Trump selected U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, sources said on Monday, putting Rubio on track to be the first Latino to serve as America's top diplomat.
Northern Ontario teen recovering in hospital after being attacked; ex-boyfriend charged with attempted murder
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
23andMe cuts 40 per cent of its workforce, discontinues all therapy programs
Genetic testing firm 23andMe said on Monday it is reducing about 40 per cent, or 200 employees, from its workforce and discontinuing all its therapies.
'Your body, my choice': Attacks on women surge on social media following U.S. election
Sexist and abusive attacks on women, like 'your body, my choice' and 'get back to the kitchen,' have surged across social media since Trump’s reelection.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, Ottawa's 'Wayne Gretzky' of vasectomies, dies
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
Megan Fox is expecting a baby with Machine Gun Kelly
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are expecting to grow their family. Fox announced her pregnancy in a social media post Monday.
Montreal man facing first-degree murder in woman's death; accused was on bail after allegedly threatening her
A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.
Kitchener, Ont. teen facing 29 charges after serious threats made against schools, businesses and people
A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.