Pte L Sinclair. #460609.

“C.” Company.

61st Battalion C.E.F.

Thursday

March. 30

6’oclock.

Dear Mother:-

Well we arrived safely in Ottawa early this morning. We were up at five and were inspected by the Duke aboute ten o’clock. I did not think much of Ottawa and was somewhat surprised when we got there. The street the parliament Blgs are on got me. You’d have though you were walking up Selkirk Ave until the parliament Blgs are reached and then it improves a little. We came in on the north side of the town I beleive and left by the new Central station. It was as we marched from one station to the other that we were Inspected by the duke, and we stopped just in front of the parliament Blgs for about a half an hour so that we were able to see the ruins of that Blg. We also got a swell reception from the people as we went by and at the station as we left. In fact at all the towns we stopped at there was someone to meet us. At Pembroke and Renfrew we stopped awhile and the station platforms were crowded with people to see us. The 67th highlander from Victoria are with us so that there are 6 troop trains trailing each other through this part of the country. 

It was 4.30 when we reached Montreal but we just hit the outskirts of that city. They switched us on to the G. Trunk about nine miles out of the city and we could not see the city at all. This road seemed to run along sort of a rived bed and we could see nothing but freight cars from where we stopped. We stopped half an hour though and were able to get off. I met Tom Murray and Del Irvine at the platform and they were glad to see us. Both Tom & Del are looking fine and are playing their last game to night. As we crossed the St Lawrence we were able to get a glimpse of Mont Royal and the city itself. I would liked to have stayed awhile and looked over the city but they were not long in shipping us off. Well mother we are passed Montreal and are not hitting for Halifax. The country about here is more like out West it is not so rocky but the rustic fences which enclose these small farms look funny. Just now the train has stopped for orders beside the Rosalie Junction and it is just getting dusk. You can see the lamps being lighted in the different houses and the outline of a church with its pointed steeple in the distance. Its getting kind of dark to write now so I had better close. Remember me to all & hope you can write soon.

Larry.