The population of Lunenburg in 1940 was just over 2500 - and it's still under 2600. Most of the young men had joined the armed forces or were at sea on merchant ships. As one old-timer said, "The ones left was too young or too old or not fit". According to newspaper reports the Norwegians were very well received by the townspeople and it wasn't long before they were taking part in the social activities of the town. Even the landscape from Hubbards to Liverpool conspired to make them feel at home for it is very much like the landscape on the west side of Oslo Fjord, where most of the whalers and seamen came from. Their Sunday morning parades to Zion's Lutheran Church became a weekly spectacle and they began holding evening benefits in aid of the Red Cross.
A severe storm affected that first event and a soccer match between the Norwegians and a town team had to be cancelled but the concert and dance raised $64.78 for the Red Cross. The town held an official civic welcome at the Lunenburg Armouries which included a reception and a dance. The local newspaper reported that "The Norwegian boys are enthusiastic about dancing...". The presence of the Norwegians had a significant effect on the economy. Here were hundreds of men, most of them young, with money in their pockets, which they couldn't send home so they spent it locally. When the whalers received their final shares of the sale of the whale oil, they had plenty because their shares were based on the selling price of the oil and it had increased quite considerably due to the war. It is said that they bought so many cars that they cleaned out the car dealers in the area who had to get more sent from Halifax to meet the demand. The Chief of Police later wrote, "Here we had 400 to 500 fine young Norwegian seamen and several hundred Canadian naval personnel...pay days were quite hectic. The streets were packed and the restaurants were overflowing. It was just like Times Square on New Year's Eve. At the dance halls there was standing room only…the jewellery stores and cosmetic shops were doing a thriving business. Money was no problem. ...". The Norwegians caused remarkably little trouble. Hugh Corkum, former Chief of Lunenburg's two-man police force, devotes a chapter of his memoirs, On Both Sides of the Law, to them and cites no really serious incidents except for some drunkenness and dance-hall fights. The police took on four part-time men as auxiliaries and, together with the Norwegian Navy shore patrol, seem to have maintained law and order quite well. The Norwegians fit in well and the newspapers of the time report various social events either at or sponsored by Camp Norway. One of THE events was the visit by Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha in February, 1941, which was extensively reported on in the local press.
There were also quite a few weddings. After the war, many of those couples went home to Norway but we understand that most of them came back to the South Shore. Some of the local people, particularly young women, in the area kept up correspondence with the Norwegians after they left the camp. They sent them parcels of what was called comforts. In the book Somewhere on the East Coast of Canada, there is a touching story by a Norwegian seaman, about a gift of a little New Testament and a pair of thigh-high woollen socks and a balaclava that someone had knitted and sent to him. The stockings and the balaclava served him well both during and after the war until they finally wore out but the New Testament still occupies a place of honour on his bookshelves. As evidence of the good reputation of the Norwegians and the high esteem in which they were held, the town council and the business sector held a farewell dinner at Camp Norway when the camp closed in 1943. In the House of Commons, MP J.J. Kinley asked that something be done to officially commemorate their service in Canada, adding "When we said goodbye to those Norwegians we felt that we were losing good citizens....". Nothing was done at the time.
In 1994 a week-long Camp Norway reunion took place where about 100 veterans from Norway and a considerable number from Canada and the U.S.A. attended. Included in the many events that took place during the reunion was the unveiling of memorial stones in Lunenburg, Chester and Liverpool.
The veterans received a very warm welcome indeed, and many old acquaintances and friendships were renewed. The towns, the Provincial government, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Royal Canadian Legion, the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, the Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and others too numerous to mention made sure it was a memorable event.
Chester location of hospital and rest home