Valour Road

Valour Road is a 3 km street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was formerly known as Pine Street. In 1925, it was renamed Valour Road to honour three former residents who lived along the street: Frederick Hall, Leo Clarke and Robert Shankland. All three received the Victoria Cross for their heroic deeds during the First World War.

Sergeant-Major Frederick Hall

Frederick Hall joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in 1914 and served in the 8th Battalion. On the night of 24 April 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres, Hall was fatally shot while trying to rescue a badly wounded soldier from no man’s land. He was nominated posthumously for the Victoria Cross.

Corporal Leo Clarke

Leo Clarke joined the CEF in 1915 and served in the 2nd Battalion. On 9 September 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, Clarke single-handedly defended a captured trench, fighting off a group of 22 Germans and killing 18 men. He died 40 days later and never learned of his Victoria Cross.

Lieutenant Robert Shankland

Robert Shankland joined the CEF in 1915 and served overseas in the 43rd Battalion. In June 1916, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. On 26 October 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele, Shankland led a successful attack against strong enemy positions. A few weeks later, he was awarded the Victoria Cross in person by King George V. Shankland was the only one of the three to survive the war and attended the 1925 renaming ceremony. He also served during the Second World War.

Commemoration

The “Valour Road” Heritage Minute, released in 1991, recounts the heroic deeds of Hall, Clarke and Shankland. The Valour Road Commemorative Plaza opened in 2005 on Sergeant Avenue in Winnipeg, close to the intersection with Valour Road. The plaza is in the shape of a Victoria Cross and includes three metal soldier silhouettes and four bronze plaques mounted on limestone bases — one for each soldier and one explaining the VC. In October 2021, Canada Post issued a stamp honouring the heroes of Valour Road.