Lawrence Young Pt. 1: Early Life

Lawrence Young was born into a large Métis family on February 15, 1899, at Lac Seul in Northwestern Ontario. Lawrence, along with his five sisters and five brothers, was the son of Ellen Young (nee Thompson), a Métis woman also born in Lac Seul. 

Lawrence shared a particularly close bond with his older brother, James. From ages twelve to seventeen, Lawrence lived with James and other extended family. The 1911 census reveals that much of the Young family resided next door to one another. 

Like many other young Métis men who eventually served in the military, Lawrence was raised in a close-knit, loving, and supportive environment, surrounded by siblings, parents, and extended family, fostering a strong sense of community before beginning a new chapter of service.

On January 3, 1916, during the height of the First World War, Lawrence voluntarily enlisted in the 94th Overseas Battalion in Kenora. Weeks away from his seventeenth birthday and not yet old enough to join the military, Lawrence claimed to be a year older than his true age of sixteen on his military attestation papers. Seven months later, Lawrence left his community to undergo training in England.

See Our Sources

• Lawrence Young, Canadian Great War Project

• Lawerence Young, Kenora Great War Project

• Young-Thompson VMFL

• Lawrence Young Attestation Record (1)

• Lawrence Young Attestation Record (2)

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