xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Tuesday, 11 June 2013, a ceremony was held in the Fort Frontenac Library which honoured 6137 Wyn van der Shee (Class of 1964). Specifically, the ceremony formally recognized Wyn’s exceptionally generous donation of his personal collection of approximately 4,000 rare and unusual volumes to the Fort Frontenac Library in Kingston, Ontario. While this collection is immense in quantity, it is richer in quality. In its totality, his personal collection is of considerable historical significance.
To accompany this collection, a very contemporary and visually stunning catalogue entitled Selections from the Wyn van der Schee Collection, was published. This initiative was sponsored by the Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre which is the current guardian of the Fort Frontenac Library which is widely regarded as the Canadian Army’s Library.
The Library’s Chief Librarian, Mr. David Willis, was also instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. During the ceremony, he paid homage to Wyn culminating in the presentation of a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Harper which meant a great deal to Wyn as his father was a good friend of the Prime Minister’s father.
Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin, Commander of the Canadian Army, presided over the ceremony and he also acknowledged the magnitude of Wyn’s generosity noting that his collection represented his outstanding personal passion for the past four decades. After expressing the collective appreciation on behalf of the Army, he presented Wyn with his personal Commendation and coin. In doing so, he noted that donations such as Wyn’s will help preserve the Army’s heritage and Canada’s military history.
Article courtesy of Bryan Bailey; photos by Steven McQuaid