3 March 2025
Silvera is home to many veterans. To honour them and their selfless commitments, we are sharing the stories the residents who have served. We are grateful to them for their service and their willingness to share their experiences.
Karen Milne, an 84-year-old resident at Shawnessy Commons, has seen some adventure in her day, including as a young Air Force recruit.
Born in Vancouver and raised in both Rossland and Trail, BC, Karen’s early years were filled with carefree days skiing on Red Mountain, where she grew up alongside Olympian Nancy Green.
In 1958, ready to escape her small hometown and explore new horizons, Karen joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Her journey into the military was driven by a desire for adventure (“The Air Force just seemed exotic”) and some family history – her biological grandfather survived Vimy Ridge, her biological father also served in the RCAF, and her mother was in the Navy.
Despite her initial aspiration to become a service police officer, she was disqualified because she wore glasses, so she instead decided to train as a Recreation Specialist, a role she describes as a “glorified gym teacher”.
Karen was stationed at RCAF Winnipeg, where she trained pilots. “Essentially, I was responsible for putting flight cadets through their training exercises, ensuring they were physically prepared for the rigours of flying,” she says.
Her time in the Air Force was filled with memorable experiences, including an encounter with Air Vice Marshal Bryans, the head of the RCAF, whom she initially mistook for an elderly tennis player.
The training command headquarters in Station Aylmer, Ontario was in the process of being moved to Winnipeg during Karen’s early days training as a Rec Spec.
Through the upheaval of the move, Karen was unable to complete her course at either station, meaning she would have to re-enlist and spend several more years getting her training course elsewhere. Ultimately, she left the service with an honorable discharge.
After her military service, Karen’s life continued to be filled with diverse experiences. She pursued creative writing at Mount Royal, worked on a ranch in southern Alberta, and ran a small import business.
Her journey took her across Canada, from Quebec to Vancouver to Calgary, where she eventually settled at Shawnessy in June 2024.