A street in Selkirk now carries an honorary name recognizing the 31 residents who left it to serve in the Second World War. Mayor Larry Johannson unveiled the sign Friday on Dufferin Avenue, which is now also known as WWII Memorial Drive. Council approved the honorary name in a resolution in June. The enlistees became known as the Dufferin Gang, after the street where they lived. The city says they are believed to be the largest contingent from a single street to enlist in the war, a claim that has no official recognition but is widely accepted. Among those at the unveiling were family and friends of the group, including Glen Laye. The 73-year-old lifelong Selkirk resident said his father, Jack, was one of the 31. “It just kind of gives closure to the individuals from the street that enlisted and fought during the war,” Laye said. Laye said his father was aboard a ship when the first wave landed at Juno Beach, the 10-kilometre stretch of French coastline assigned to Canadian forces on D-Day. He said his father was one of six men ordered to stay on board to protect the vessel before eventually going ashore. Laye said his father and the other veterans would gather at the Legion and talk around the tables, but would go quiet if anyone came close. He believes they would be surprised by the attention. “We did what we thought was right,” Laye said of how he imagines they would react. Laye said the unveiling is only one part of a multi-year effort to honour the group, which includes murals, monuments, an interpretive panel and commemorative banners. “Hopefully, people will see it, and it’ll open their eyes to what was done, and what these individuals did to make it better for everybody today.”
