In 1953, at the age of 17 or 18, Shirley Morie, a long-time resident of Westlock, was one of only 50 young women across Canada chosen to participate in an historic journey to London for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. As part of the Commonwealth Youth Movement, Morie embarked on the adventure that would take her from the small town of Westlock to the bustling streets of London.
Decades later, memories of that extraordinary trip have resurfaced for 89-year-old Morie, thanks to The Coronation Girls, a documentary by Canadian filmmaker Douglas Arrowsmith that premiered on PBS on Dec. 26. The film follows the reunion of a dozen women who, like Morie, were chosen to represent Canada at the Coronation. Now, in their 80s and 90s, they had returned to London to witness the Coronation of King Charles III.
Reflecting on her trip, Morie remembers the awe-inspiring spectacle of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
“It was quite magnificent."
The vivid memories of the crowd’s roar and the music of the bands still echo in her mind.
“It was pretty overwhelming. That lives with you forever.”
Morie’s journey to London started with a train ride from Edmonton, bound for Calgary to pick up another girl. Already on the train was a girl from Oliver, B.C., recalls Morie. Along the way, they were joined by other girls from across Canada.
They eventually reached Montreal, where she said they boarded the Empress of Scotland ship for a five-day voyage to the United Kingdom. Other girls boarded the Empress of France ship, she added.
“The journey was lovely,” Morie recalled.
The long train and ship rides provided the girls with time to form lasting friendships. They were all dressed in a uniform of wine-coloured blazers, grey skirts, and dark berets.
After arriving in Scotland, the group spent several days sightseeing and meeting the locals. They visited towns, churches, landmarks, and even took in a Shakespearean play. At Glamis Castle in Scotland, they had the rare opportunity to meet the Queen Mother’s brother.
The excitement of the Coronation itself was overwhelming and the Canadian girls, who were well-chaperoned, were kept busy throughout their stay.
“You couldn’t get away with anything,” said Morie.
But even amid the massive crowds, a small-town connection surfaced. At the Coronation, Morie heard someone hollering “Westlock” repeatedly from the crowd. To her surprise, she spotted the owners of a local store, who had also travelled to London for the historic event.
The young women spent two months in the United Kingdom, travelling by bus and staying in university dorms and the occasional hotel. The experience allowed them to get to know the local people.
Returning to Canada, Morie had to write her Grade 12 exams in August, which delayed her university plans. She passed her exams, but the paperwork wasn’t processed in time for her to start classes that September and she had to wait until the New Year.
Over the years, Morie kept in touch with some of the girls she had met on the trip, including the girl from Calgary, but as life took its course, they lost contact. Morie went on to earn a nursing degree and, in 1963, became the administrator of Westlock’s auxiliary hospital, where she ran the long-term care centre for 30 years.
She retired in 1995 but her retirement only lasted five to six months after Morie became the mayor of Westlock, a role she held until 2004. Her commitment to the community extended to her family, as one of her two daughters, Laura Morie, followed in her footsteps and now serves on Westlock’s town council. Her other daughter, Pamela Davidson, is a retired teacher living in Calgary. Morie’s husband, Fred, was a businessman and passed away in 2001.
Though the 1953 Coronation journey was Morie’s first trip abroad, it wasn’t her last. She returned to the United Kingdom six or seven times in the years that followed.
As Morie looks forward to watching the reunion of The Coronation Girls in Arrowsmith’s documentary, she is reminded of the unforgettable moments, but she admits she didn’t fully appreciate the event at the time.
"Unfortunately, you don't appreciate it while it's going on," she said. "After, when you think about it, you think you're pretty lucky."