8 April 2025
Lloyd Downey, a 96-year-old Shawnessy Commons resident, joined military service shortly after World War II ended, in his early 20s.
His decision to join the Navy was influenced by his brother’s involvement in the military. The small-town prairie boy decided he wanted to seek adventure.
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Lloyd was the first person born in the small village of Willingdon, Alberta located about 100 km northeast of Edmonton on the CPR rail line. His parents ran the local store, with his father also serving as the postmaster and his mother as the telephone operator.
His family eventually relocated to Edmonton. After graduation, Lloyd joined the work force and married in 1948. He signed up for the Navy reserves shortly thereafter.
“Because my brother had recently returned from the war, my parents were none too happy when I told them I joined the Navy,” he says.
Lloyd had to report to the base and fly from Edmonton to Toronto. “I remember it just being so exciting because I left Edmonton at night, and I had to report to the Navy first thing in the morning. It was a real adventure.”
Lloyd spent four years in the reserves, working aboard ships during the summertime. During his time in the service, Lloyd was stationed on the Great Lakes aboard the HMCS Digby, as well as on the west coast.
“The crew would always say that the best sailors came from the prairies,” Lloyd recalls. “I guess it’s because we had no fear and were used to hard work. Really, we were just dumb prairie kids excited about getting on a ship.”
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Lloyd never lost his passion for the navy. He eventually paired this passion with his dedication to voluntarism. Lloyd volunteered as an officer in the Edmonton Navy Cadets, at HMCS Nonsuch and in Calgary at HMCS Tecumseh, serving in this role for many years in the 1950s and 1960s then again in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In his later years, Lloyd was also a tireless volunteer with the Legion’s Poppy Fund and the veteran’s food bank. He was also active in the Calgary Naval Veterans Association, holding the role of president for many years. This era of volunteering lasted right up until his move to Silvera in 2019.