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Cheers to CANAV Books on their upcoming 40th Anniversary

Congratulations to CANAV Books on its upcoming 40th anniversary!

Toronto’s Larry Milberry established CANAV Books in 1981 as a publishing house focusing on Canadian aviation history.  Since then, CANAV Books has published 36 Canadian military histories, including the widely-respected Sixty Years — RCAF & CF Air Command 1924 – 1984. 

Larry Milberry is posting a history of CANAV Books on his blog, which you can read at www.canavbooks.wordpress.com

At Old Stone Books, we’d like to thank CANAV Books for its excellent contributions to Canadian aviation history for the past four decades.  We wish it many more years of success ahead!

Covid-19 and tuberculosis

As the world lives through this pandemic, similarities between Covid-19 and another terrible plague, tuberculosis, come to mind.  Both can be transmitted by air, both attack the lungs, and both commonly cause fever and coughing. Differences include the fact that tuberculosis is a bacterial illness and Covid-19 is a viral one.

When scientists discovered antibiotics like streptomycin near the end of WWII, tuberculosis was drastically beaten back, though due to factors like multi-drug resistant strains of the disease, it has not been totally eradicated.   As international scientists work to find a vaccine to battle Covid-19,  we hope that history repeats itself, and that these dedicated men and women quickly find the answer the world awaits.

Inger Stene Passes Away

We were saddened to learn that Inger (Dietrichson) Stene passed away in Toronto on May 28, 2020, at age 102.   Inger was born in Norway. During World War II, she worked with the Norwegian Resistance fighting the country’s Nazi occupiers, until she was forced to flee to Sweden to avoid capture.

After the war, Inger married John Magne Stene.  John had been an officer and pilot with the Royal Norwegian Air Force, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for acts of valour during active operations.

Inger and John moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1956, where Inger worked at the University of Toronto for many years.  John predeceased Inger in 2008.

Inger is survived by her step-daughters Sheila Stene and Kristin Basso; her son-in-law Guido Basso; and their half-sisters, Vanessa and Katharine Vansittart.

Here is a link to Inger’s obituary, which appeared in the Globe & Mail newspaper on June 6, 2020:

http://ww.legacy.com/obituaries/Hertheglobeandmail/obituary.aspx?n=inger-stene&pid=196303757&fhid=9911

On a personal note, Inger generously shared her wartime memories with me, while I was writing Exile Air.  She was an elegant, wise, and charming lady. May she rest in peace.

(Photo of John and Inger Stene at Little Norway Memorial, Muskoka Airport, 2007.)

75th Anniversary of VE Day

May 8, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of  Victory in Europe Day, when Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered to Allied forces following nearly six years of war.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to the cancellation of most public events, Veterans Affairs Canada will be commemorating the day digitally. Here is a link to Veteran Affairs  Canada’s website: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/commemorative-events/netherlands-ve-day

For my part,  I remember my late father, Andrew Baston, who served in the Canadian Army  during  WWII, and had landed at Juno Beach, Normandy, France, on D-Day plus one.  He was still overseas with the troops on May 8, 1945.

In the photo, Dad is on the left. 

Passing of Oivind Lorentzen Jr.

World TB Day, March 24, 2020

As the world awaits the discovery of a vaccine to combat Covid-19, today we remember another global epidemic, tuberculosis.  March 24, 2020, is World TB Day, commemorating the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of the bacteria which causes tuberculosis. This eventually led to the diagnosing and curing of tuberculosis, though the disease remains the world’s No. 1 infectious killer.

Many thanks to the Scarborough Tuesday Probus Club!

It was great to speak to the Scarborough Tuesday Probus Club on Feb. 18, 2020, about Exile Air. The meeting had a Tropical theme, with many straw hats and Hawaiian shirts in view … the perfect antidote to a wintery day!  Thanks for inviting me!

Upcoming presentation to the Scarborough Tuesday Probus Club

I’m looking forward to speaking about Little Norway and my book, Exile Air: World War II’s ‘”Little Norway” in Toronto and Muskoka, on February 18, 2020, at the Scarborough Tuesday Probus Club.

The location is the St. Dunstan of Canterbury Church, 56 Lawson Road, Scarborough, Ontario.  The meeting starts at 10 a.m.  Hope to say hello to many members of the Club!

The Probus Club of Central Muskoka

I was honoured to speak to the Probus Club of Central Muskoka about Exile Air on November 13, 2019. Thanks to the Club for the invitation, and for their warm welcome on a wintry day!

Thanks to the Durham Lifelong Learning members!

I’d like to thank the members of the Durham Lifelong Learning group, for inviting me to speak to them about  Little Norway and my book, Exile Air, at their meeting on October 8, 2019 in Whitby. I’m grateful for their warm hospitality, and for all the interesting conversations with members after my presentation.  Many thanks to all!