Sgt Ralph “Spur” Newell, CD (Ret'd)

We regret to advise of the death of Sergeant Ralph “Spur” Newell, CD (Ret'd) in Logan Lake, BC on 22 April 2017 in his 79^th year. Spur was a native of Newfoundland who served his career with the Canadian Military Engineers in Werl, Germany and as a Heavy Equipment Operator in Chilliwack, BC and Valcartier, QC.

After completing his Recruit Training at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack, BC, Spur's career started with a short tour with 2 Field Squadron in Camp Gagetown, NB in 1958 followed by a tour in Werl, GE starting in 1959. His early experience with heavy equipment started while he was next posted to 3 Field Squadron, Chilliwack, working as a trainee on heavy equipment on the Nehemiah Valley Road project (1966-67). His construction project work later included building an airstrip in Wainright, AB in 1967 and working on the road in the British Columbia Interior in 1969 from Williams Lake toward Bella Coola. After this Chilliwack tour, he was posted to 5ième Escadron du génie du Canada in Valcartier, QC in 1970 as a Heavy Equipment Operator where he helped many sappers learn their specialty, then returned to Chilliwack in 1975 as a tractor trailer driver with Base Transport. For his final tour, he was assigned to Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack as an instructor in Heavy Equipment. After retirement in 1979 Spur went to Fort McMurray, AB and worked for Syncrude - at one time operating the gigantic excavator. He worked as a truck driver at Highland Valley Copper Mine for twenty three years.