WESTVILLE, N.S. — The stamp cost three cents. King George’s face is on it.
It was placed 78 years ago on an envelope that has yellowed in the years that followed. The date stamped on it reads June 3, 1941, 11 PM, Halifax.
When Liz Koszkulics first held this mail in her hand she noticed it was torn at the top like it had been opened. But the letter was never delivered – or at least it doesn’t appear to have been.
“Where it came from, where it went, I don’t know.”
This mysterious letter from a bygone era somehow made it into the general mail that arrived at the New Glasgow post office earlier this year.
“It was among the mail we were sorting that came through from Halifax,” said Koszkulics, a Canada Post employee.
But everything else about it is unknown.
“Where it came from, where it went, I don’t know.”
It’s certainly the oldest piece of undelivered mail she’s ever come across.
Partly because it’s their job and partly because they wanted to solve the mystery, staff decided to try to deliver the letter.
The letter was addressed to a Mr. Archie Hubley of Westville, N.S. There was no civic address and no postal code because of the time it was sent.
The sender was simply Canadian Legion War Services, Inc. But piecing together the fact that it was from the legion and was to be delivered to a man in Westville, Koszkulics was able to connect with the Westville Legion.
Michelle MacLeod Stewart, president of the Westville Legion, and her husband Joe Stewart, who is vice-president of the legion, took it upon themselves to try to track down the person.
Michelle said it was pretty amazing that the letter was found. She and her husband were able to find a relative of Archie Hubley and, with that person present, took a look at the letter.
It was from D.J. Bourque, District Entertainment Officer for the Canadian Legion War Services. Bourque apparently was lining up entertainment for concert parties which would go to Debert, Mulgrave and Parkdale to perform for troops.
The letter to Archie Hubley was to ask that he bring his daughters to Frank’s Restaurant so he could watch them perform.
“Would you kindly come over with the girls and perform for me,” Bourque writes. “Not that I doubt your ability, but I want to see and hear all acts so that I can more easily arrange the programs.
“If you know any other performer in Westville and they tell me that the town is full of it, get them to come over too. Singers, Dancers, Fiddlers, any one who do entertain in any form.”
The relative confirmed that Archie Hubley was long dead, but suggested they might be able to find one of the daughters referenced in the letter. The Stewarts have since tracked down one of them, who is in her 90s and is living in a nursing home in New Glasgow. From what they’ve learned the sisters were twins who did step dancing.
Joe said for him, the letter paints a picture of how the community worked together during the war years, whether it was soldiers who went to fight or the people at home who supported them.
“It was a real big community thing,” he said.
Michelle said the Westville Legion hopes to be able to finally deliver the letter to Archie Hubley’s daughter and other relatives on Remembrance Day during a special event at the Westville Legion at 1 p.m. She encourages the public to come out and attend.
The Stewarts hope it brings back good memories for the daughter and that perhaps they can find out more about what happened – like if the Hubleys ever made the appointment.
Coming across it and learning more in itself has been an experience for all involved.
“The stamp is only three cents,” Michelle says. “Pretty amazing.”
