On this day in 1918 Peter Powless was conscripted in Toronto. He was born in Tyendinaga on October 22nd, 1886, the son of Isaac Powless and Lydia (née Penn), who were Mohawks. When he was drafted he was living in New Toronto. He joined the 2nd Depot Battalion of the 1st Central Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3234069. He was described as five feet five and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he was discharged on May 21st, 1918 as having been “erroneously ordered to report” (Indigenous men were exempt from conscription under the Military Service Act).

At the time of the 1921 census, Peter was living in Whitney, near Porcupine, to the east of Timmins in Northern Ontario.