Family, community gather as 1st Ave. NW becomes Carm Colvin Avenue
The Town of Carman has posthumously honoured one of Manitoba’s oldest veterans of the Second World War by naming 1st Avenue NW to Carm Colvin Avenue.
Carm Colvin passed away on March 3, 2024, at the age of 105. On July 12, family members spanning three generations joined local officials and community members for a street renaming photo opportunity, paying tribute to Colvin’s remarkable life and service.
“It is a huge honour to him,” said son Fred Colvin. “It was a complete surprise to our family when Mayor Owen contacted us to say what council had decided to do. We were thrilled.”
Fred Colvin and his sisters, Elaine Ganske and Lynda Michie, were joined by their children and grandchildren—seven of whom were photographed with their families beneath the new street sign. Carman Mayor Brent Owen led the official recognition, and Fred Fox offered words of thanks to the town for honouring his father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Although Colvin didn’t live to see the street sign installed, he did know it was coming.
“He was in the hospital at the time, and the mayor sent us a photo of the sign when they received it,” said Fred. “He was genuinely thrilled. He actually chuckled and said, when he saw the photo, ‘I can imagine what your mother would have said: What do you need a street named after you for!!’ Mom enjoyed keeping Dad grounded.”
Born in 1918, Carm Colvin was one of three brothers who served Canada during the Second World War. He enlisted in 1942 with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, using his skills from Manitoba Telephone System to repair communications equipment and lay phone lines across Europe.
“I was kept pretty busy repairing lines, switchboards, phones, etc. There was never a dull moment,” Colvin once said.
He served in England, Scotland, Belgium, France, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany until the war’s end in 1945. On May 9 of that year, while digging a grave for his fallen captain in Germany, Colvin was informed that the war had ended.
Tragically, his younger brother, Fred Colvin, a member of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, was captured during the Battle of Hong Kong and later died in Japanese captivity. The Colvin family did not learn of his death until six months later. In 1972, the Manitoba government named Colvin Lake in his honour.
Like many veterans, Colvin didn’t speak often about his wartime experiences—at least not at first.
“Only some lighter moments,” his children recalled. “As he got older, he shared more stories of the difficult times.”
They believe his service deeply shaped how he lived the rest of his life.
“He was proud of his service, which we think led to his long involvement in the Legion. Living through the war and all its pain, it seemed to help him put life’s challenges in perspective.”
After the war, Carm returned to Carman and reunited with his wife Vera. The couple moved to a property on the Carman west road in 1952, where they raised their family. He remained an active member of the Carman Legion for more than 75 years.
In 2021, France named Colvin a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour—its highest distinction—in recognition of his wartime role in the country’s liberation. He also received the 1939-1945 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp, and the War Medal.
“He was loving, he was funny, he was fun-loving and always supportive to everyone in his family,” said his children.
When asked what part of him they hope Carman residents will remember when they see his name on the street sign, Fred answered:
“We hope that they remember how proud he was to be from Carman. Dad was active in the Legion, but it was really his involvement with the community through his love of music that he was so well known.”
A gifted banjo player, Colvin attributed his strength and longevity to “most definitely his music and his family,” his children agreed.
In his final year, he received a standing ovation at Carman’s 2023 Remembrance Day ceremony—his last public appearance. His family said it wasn’t a formal ceremony that marked the renaming of the street, but rather a special gathering for the photo beneath the sign with the mayor.
“He lived a long and vibrant life,” said Fred. “Of course, we’re sad, but we knew this day would come. We know how fortunate we were to have had him with us in good health for so long.”
Carm Colvin Avenue now stands as a lasting tribute to a man whose life embodied courage, service, and joy.
