Our Heroes

Emilie Nugent was born in 1923 in Carmangay, Alberta, into a large and lively family where faith and community were at the heart of daily life. A devoted daughter and a kindhearted young woman, she gave back early on as a Sunday School teacher at the Carmangay United Church.

When her father passed away, Emilie put her own education aside to support her family, working as the town’s telephone operator. Her sense of duty extended beyond her family, and in September 1942 she answered her country’s call, enlisting in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) in Calgary. Her service took her to Vermilion and Suffield, Alberta, where she rose to the rank of Lance Corporal.

In March 1943, Emilie married Private James Buchanan, who was stationed at Currie Barracks in Calgary. Only six months later, tragedy struck. On September 20, 1943, Emilie’s promising life was cut short in a military automobile accident near Suffield. She was just 20 years old.

Her funeral was held in the same Carmangay United Church where she had once guided children in faith and fellowship. Emilie’s story is one of service, sacrifice, and love—for her family, her community, and her country. She represents the courage and devotion of the many young Canadians who gave everything in the cause of freedom.