OTTAWA, TODAY – Mr. Stéphane Ouellette, President and Chief Executive Officer, Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP), remembered the gallant services of Canadian Merchant Navy Veteran and friend Captain (Retired) Earle Steadman Wagner that sadly passed on December 1, 2023, a few weeks short of his centennial birthday.

Captain Earle Wagner was born on December 25, 1923, in West La Have, Nova Scotia. At the age of seventeen, he joined the Merchant Navy, where he served during the Second World War, and remained associated with the marine industry for over 48 years. After retiring, Captain Wagner became an active member and President of the Canadian Merchant Navy Association and Chairman of the Master Mariners of Canada, Memorial Fund, Maritime Division. Captain Wagner worked tirelessly on behalf of his fellow Merchant Navy Seamen, resulting in (but no limited to): obtaining pension and program benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada; a Wartime Service medal struck on behalf of Merchant Navy Personnel; and, the creation of a National Merchant Navy War Memorial located on the Halifax waterfront. Captain Wagner also contributed more than 50 commemorative plaques to cenotaphs throughout Canada.

On September 6, 2016, Captain Wagner was appointed to the Board of Honorary Governors of the MNCTP in recognition of his services to his country with valour and distinction.

Captain Wagner’s recipe for longevity was: good genes; good lifestyle; and, lots of luck.