Feature Letter of August 22nd, 2025
Doerksen, Kenn W.
[Lt.-Col. Kenn W. Doerksen served in Cyprus with the Canadian Contingent of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. The letter below was written to his two young children back home in Edmonton, Alberta.]
Dear Tonia and Cameron,
Thank you, Tonia, for the lovely picture, which arrived yesterday. It was very nice of you. I hope your are fine and staying busy. Did you play with Kathy in Kelowna? I guess you will be starting school very soon and I am sure you will like it very much.
Cyprus is a very pretty place. But unfortunately the people here are always fighting each other, all the men from Canada try to stop the fighting. Because of the fighting, many people are killed, peoples homes are burned and they must move away, and many cows and sheep die because no one is left to give them water.
We live in a beautiful hotel but the fighting has caused the hotel to be very damaged. Most of the windows are broken from bullets and there are holes in the walls. We had no water for several days but the food is good.
There are lots of cats in Cyprus. They walk around everywhere, and even live in our hotel. But there are hardly any dogs, because they usually get sick and die. There are no mosquitoes, which is nice. The city is very old and the streets are narrow. It is difficult to drive on many of them.
I hope you had a good time at Grandmas. Do you play sometimes with Cameron. I’m sure you do, and that you are a big help to Mommy.
Please give Mommy a big kiss, both of you, for me. I miss you.
Love from
Daddy
XXXXX
P.S. Give Manda a pat for me, and a dog biscuit
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