Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times, April 02, 2015

Thursday, April 2, 2015

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Maple Ridge’s own Larry Beckett has built his own canon, refurbished others, and started an artillery company. Rick Moyer/TIMES

History

Civil war enactor has cannons, will travel

A relative newcomer to Maple Ridge, Larry Beckett has several pieces he takes to re-enactment activities. by Ronda Payne editorial@mrtimes.com

A year ago, Larry Beckett became a resident of Maple Ridge. And he brought his cannons with him. Beckett is a former military man, so the passion is somewhat logical, especially given that he has a love of history.

“I’ve always been a history buff and I’ve always been for the South,” he said. This love affair began simply enough. When in Birch Bay one Sunday, Beckett was set to enjoy sitting and relaxing in the park when he noticed the blue and grey coats. A Civil War re-enactment was about to begin and once Becket learned more about it, he was hooked. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “We do historical re-enacting down in the United States.” Asked how he gets a cannon across the border, Beckett laughed and replied, “there’s no restrictions on cannons.”

You may have seen Beckett firing one of “his girls.” Elvira and Morgana are popular wherever they go. For the past 15 years, Beckett has been firing at the Port Moody Legion for Remembrance Day. He’s fired in parades, at weddings, and at funerals. “After the first firing in Port Moody, it took off like wildfire. Any chance we get we want to fire it,” he noted. He’s hoping to fire it in Maple Ridge for Remembrance Day after transferring his Legion membership to the community. Once he was hooked by Civil War reenactments, he had to choose a unit to

join whether it was army, cavalry, artillery, or medic. Obviously he chose artillery. After four years, he built his own cannon, then another two years passed and he started his own artillery company in Canada: the Seymour Artillery Company. “I’d decided we should do this up in Canada,” he said. But taking on this kind of hobby comes with its own difficulties. “There’s nothing you can buy,” Beckett said. “You’ve got to have a blacksmith or someone who can fabricate.”

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