Arthur Scott Bouchard, returns to malone with the sugar

A story submitted by Sandra Townsend. This is part of her story, “The Eldorado Sailor” (CLICK HERE)

Rationing in Canada occurred from 1942 – 1947. Canadians embraced this process as their patriotic duty. The war ended in 1945 but the rationing continued until 1947. Even if your family had a source of a rationed commodity outside of the merchants using your Ration Book Coupon, it was illegal to hold in your possession more than your allotted ration amount.

Finally rationing ended. It may have been just as difficult to find a pre-rationing amount of things like sugar. The Sailor from Eldorado, Arthur Scott Bouchard, whose story we have written about , was returning on the USS Phillipines Sea from Operation High Jump at the South Pole (1947) when it stopped on route in Cuba, a noted sugar-producing country. He obtained a 50lb. bag of sugar and had it sent to Watertown NY., ready to send on to his family members in Malone and Eldorado.

Scott returned to the McCann families in Malone and Eldorado. They all packed a picnic, climbed in their cars and struck out for Operation Sugar Retrieval. My mother commemorated the event by bleaching the sugar sack, cutting and hemming a circular shape, crocheting a scalloped edging and embroidering each of their names in bright colours on the doily. That doily stayed as a constant decoration atop her refrigerator for her entire life, and was how I learned of Scott’s gift.

Bill Haight , Verna McCann, Reg Peate, Howard Hennessy (peeking from in back), Reta (McCann) Peate, Alice McCann, Mildred McCann, Scott Bouchard, Dorothy McCann, George Reeves, Della McCann perched on Jack Lowery's lap and my mother Bessie McCann kneeling in front..

All the Malone and Eldorado cousins share in the booty. “Operation Sugar Retrieval” accomplished.