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A poppy engraved street sign of Turnill Street.
Screen grab from Google Maps
In honour of our soldiers: Edgar Samuel Turnill
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In a series about Richmond’s poppy street signs, in memory of our fallen soldiers, we share the story of Turnill Street.
Edgar Samuel Turnill was born on Dec. 8, 1896 in Eburne, British Columbia. Eburne was a small agricultural centre for Sea Island and Lulu Island farmers, it began in the Vancouver side of the Fraser River, which had been named Marpole, before expanding to the Sea Island side. As time went on, stores began closing, the last straw was the construction of the Arthur Laing Bridge, which steered traffic away from the area and eventually closed the last remaining store.
Turnill’s parents, Thomas Harry Turnill and Emma Jane Turnill, had been living in England three years prior to emigrating to Eburne. His father, Thomas, worked as a foreman at the Britannia Cannery and worked for the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
Edgar worked as a canner, before enlisting in Victoria on April 4, 1916 at the age of 19. He joined the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles and left for England on the SS Lapland, arriving July 25, 1916. He would be transferred to the 2nd Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles before arriving in France.
During his trip to France, Edgar was hospitalized and diagnosed with general myalgia, just one month after leaving the hospital, Turnill was tragically killed in action on April 11, 1917 at Vimy Ridge.
Turnill was survived by his parents, two brothers and two sisters, his mother would receive his personal effects including a memorial cross, and his father would receive the plaque and scroll.
On May 10, 1999, the City of Richmond made the conscious decision to honour Turnill by naming a street after him. Turnill Street can be found near the intersection of General Currie Road and Garden City Road.
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