VIU History Professor Dr. Stephen Davies honoured with provincial Award of Recognition
Vancouver Island University (VIU) is pleased to see Dr. Stephen Davies, Director of the Canadian Letters and Images Project and a History Professor, receive provincial recognition for his important work in preserving Canada’s wartime history.
The British Columbia Historical Federation has given Davies an Award of Recognition for his efforts in the preservation of BC’s history. The Canadian Letters and Images Project is an online archive of the Canadian war experience, as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves.
Davies, who teaches First World War history, started the project as a way to humanize the wartime experience for his students. The effort grew from a class project of a hundred letters to a national project of more than 40,000 letters as well as images, diaries and other materials.
Over the years, the project has been used in many different ways, from turning some of the letters into a musical, to creating paintings using artificial intelligence, to an interactive map of where veterans lived. And every November 11, countless educators incorporate materials into their Remembrance Day ceremonies and teachings.
Davies has launched a fundraising campaign to help continue the work of CLIP in preserving this important history.
“As we move away in time from past conflicts and as our veteran population declines, it becomes increasingly difficult for Canadians to understand the sacrifices that men and women made, both on the battlefield and on the home front, during wartime,” said Davies. “Donations, large and small, ensure that we can keep this important content freely available for this generation and for future generations.”
Learn more about fundraising efforts.
Full release from the BC Historical Federation, reprinted with permission:
The British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) is pleased to announce that Dr. Stephen Davies of Vancouver Island University is the recipient of an Award of Recognition.
Awards of recognition are given by the BCHF to individuals who have given exceptional service for a specific project in the preservation of British Columbia’s history.
Dr. Davies is being recognized for the creation of The Canadian Letters & Images Project, which has scanned and made more than 40,000 war letters sent by Canadian soldiers from the warfront back to Canada available to the public. His work on the project, which has spanned more than 25 years, has given voice to thousands of Canadian War Veterans.
The project is available online through https://www.canadianletters.ca.
The award was presented at the Federation’s annual conference awards gala in Williams Lake on May 3, 2025.
The British Columbia Historical Federation encourages interest in the history of British Columbia through research, presentation, and support in its role as an umbrella organization for provincial historical societies. Established in 1922, the Federation currently provides a collective voice for over 100 member societies and 24,000 individuals in the provincial not-for-profit historical sector.
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Contact: Anna Irwin
Chair, Recognition Committee, BC Historical Federation
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