John Alwyn Elliott

John was born in Grenfell, Saskatchewan on August 9, 1923. He was the middle of five boys working on the family farm and attending school when possible. Times were tough on the prairies and farm life was rough, so their mother moved into town, with the boys visiting with her often. There was a pond on the farm and John was an excellent swimmer, so when WW2 began, John joined the Royal Canadian Navy, figuring that his odds of survival were good. He was assigned to the Algonquin and John soon discovered that many of the boys from the prairies had chosen the Navy as well.

John landed in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, piloting Landing Craft 22, dropping off our Canadian boys on the beach while under fire.

Surviving the war, John moved to Clarkson, Ontario and began to work for the Canadian National Railroad. He met his future wife Norma Florence Costello while boarding with the Costello family and the two were married on November 26, 1946. The couple soon moved to Georgetown and settled at 48 Hewson Cres. John was hired by the CNR as a Station Agent…working for 25 years plus in the position, making use of the Morse Code skills he had acquired while in the Navy. Freight from the U.S. usually came to town by train and the station was a busy place. When the local Customs broker died, John was offered the job. He agreed and managed his new business at the CNR station, later purchasing a bonded warehouse on Armstrong Ave. John enjoyed politics and was on Georgetown Town Council for many years. He was also a volunteer ambulance driver and when he had a heart attack, he drove himself to the hospital. Sadly, John died in 1977 at age 54.

In 1978, his widow Norma, donated funds to assist with the building of a new theatre. In gratitude for the contribution, the Town of Halton Hills suggested naming it the “John Elliott Theatre” and now days it is affectionately known as the JET. It is interesting to know that his youngest daughter Lois played the lead character in the opening play.

John is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Georgetown.

Truly a Canadian Hero. His story lives on.

*Submitted to Homes of Heros Halton Hills by Lois Elliott Fraser