A Vancouver Island University project will display the story of Nanaimo soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First and Second World Wars across the city.
According to a release, in the days leading up to Remembrance Day, the Nanaimo Remembers project will prominently display the names of more than 200 soldiers in half a dozen locations.
Information shared about each soldier, where available, includes their name, rank and battalion, when they died and at what age, where they were buried, their occupation and their connection to Nanaimo.
The names, which were obtained from the Dallas Square Cenotaph along Church Street, will acknowledge the contributions by soldiers, and a special section of the project highlights the contributions of local Indigenous soldiers, thanks to research conducted by VIU elder-in-residence Geraldine Manson.
The release noted that the project grew out of a desire to localize a project the university participated in for many years – the World Remembers, a display tribute to soldiers across the world who lost their lives in the First World War.
The video presentation will run continuously from Nov. 1-11 on the big screen at the welcome centre on VIU’s Nanaimo campus, Building 300. It will also be played at the Beban Park and Oliver Woods community centres from Nov. 6-11; the Nanaimo Museum from Nov. 1-10; the Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Nanaimo North branch; the Port Theatre; throughout School District 68; and on Rogers TV, starting Nov. 5. It can also be viewed online at VIU’s YouTube channel.
“The Nanaimo Museum is honoured to be sharing the VIU Nanaimo Remembers Project with our guests again this year,” said Sophia Maher, general manager of the Nanaimo Museum, in the release. “Nanaimo has a long history of service and it’s critical that the sacrifices the soldiers and their families made are commemorated now and for future generations. We encourage guests to take some time to acknowledge their service, and to visit our partners at the Vancouver Island Military Museum to learn more about Nanaimo’s military heritage.”
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