How Should the Great War be Remembered? - Canada's History

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Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, ON

The year 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, a war that defined Canada as a modern nation. Over 600,000 Canadian men and women participated in the war: 67,000 died and 170,000 of them were wounded. In 2010, the last living Canadian veteran of the war passed on, with the First World War transitioning from a moment in living memory to one of historic legacy.

How can teachers and community groups seize upon this important centennial anniversary to renew interest in, and understanding about, Canada’s role during the Great War and its historic influence in shaping our country? How can we make the distant past more relevant for Canadians?

These are some of the questions that we tackled in the Fifth Canada’s History Forum.

Watch The Presentations

Family Life During the Great War

In this presentation, Kristine Alexander discusses her research into wartime correspondence between soldiers and their families.

For King and Kanata

In this presentation, Tim Winegard discusses the participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s war effort.

The Lest We Forget Project

In this presentation, Blake Seward shares how his Lest We Forget project engages students in the history of the First World War.

The Royal Newfoundland Regiment and the Great War

In this presentation, Melanie Martin shares how Newfoundland and Labrador plan to commemorate their role in the Great War.

Michel L'Italien - 2012 Canada's History Forum

In this presentation, Michel Litalien discusses the challenges of presenting the voice of French-Canadian soldiers.

Commemorating Canada's First World War

In this presentation, Jonathan Vance speaks about the ways Canadians have memorialized the Great War over the past 100 years and provides suggestions for how to commemorate the war moving forward.

Victoria High School Great War Project

In this presentation, Barry Gough discusses the Victoria High School Great War project.

Les amis, aujourd'hui on s'en va au musée

In this presentation, Georgiana Stanciu speaks about current educational activities and practices within museums.

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