Jim Hair

On November 4, Toronto gave a remarkable Canadian a new place in its memory. The bronze statue unveiled at Scrivener Square honours William “Billy” Barker, the First World War flying ace whose journey began in rural Manitoba and led to extraordinary acts of courage above Europe. Born near Dauphin in 1894, Barker began his wartime service in the Army before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. He became one of Canada’s most accomplished fighter pilots, credited with 50 aerial victories. His defining battle came on October 27, 1918, just fifteen days before the Armistice. Flying alone over France, he encountered successive formations of German aircraft. Wounded repeatedly, he brought down four enemy planes and managed to reach Allied lines, where he crash-landed. He survived. His actions earned him the Victoria Cross. When he died in a flying accident in 1930, aged just 35, more than 50,000 people watched his funeral procession in Toronto. Now, as Remembrance Day approaches, his statue offers another reason to pause on a Toronto street and remember the person behind the medals. Remember his name. Tell his story. Pictured with the statue are Barker’s grandson, Ian Mackenzie, and sculptor Armando Barbon. #BillyBarker #CanadianHistory #Toronto #LestWeForget