Reginald Alexander Nicolson: Life and Service

Reginald Alexander Nicolson was born in Moose Factory on September 3, 1892, to Allan Nicolson and Clara Caroline Vincent. He grew up in the James Bay region and worked as a bank clerk before the First World War. 

Reginald’s grandfather, Thomas Vincent, was among the Métis at Moose Factory who petitioned the government for recognition and “compensation in lieu of lands”—a request shared directly with Prime Minister Thompson, who was warned that these Métis “would be inclined to go against the Government” if denied.

While Vincent’s request went unanswered, he and the other Métis at Moose Factory did not ultimately go against the government, and by early 1900s his grandson Reginald joined the military, serving with the Cameron Highlanders. 

On August 27, 1914, just weeks after the First World War began, Reginald voluntarily enlisted and joined Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. With a motto being “first in the field,” they formed an identity around their quick movement to the battlefield, sailing for Europe on October 3, 1914.

In April 1915, illness began to take its toll on Reginald. Hospitalized with rheumatism, he soon faced escalating health concerns. A shocking clerical error in May 1915 briefly listed him as deceased, though the report was corrected a month later. 

Despite Reginald’s eventual discharge from the hospital and partial recovery, his symptoms worsened in the field with fatigue, headaches, and sleeplessness, leading to further hospitalization in France and then England. In July 1915, he was diagnosed with valvular heart disease and sent home, officially discharged that September.

Still determined to serve, Reginald reenlisted in January 1916 at Vermillion, Alberta. His health no longer permitted combat, but he adapted, taking on clerical duties while continuing to battle heart issues and restlessness. Gradually, his condition improved, and he remained at the London pay office until the war’s end.

In June 1919, Reginald returned to Canada and resumed work as a bank clerk. He married Alma Laurene Gibbon in 1921 and lived a full life despite his early struggles, passing away in 1961.

See Our Sources

• Reginald Alex Nicolson CGWP

• Reginald Alex Nicolson Service File

• Vincent-Renton VMFL

• The Globe and Mail, September 19, 2014, A Salute for the Patricias and Vandoos

• 1905 Moose Factory Métis Petition

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