VIU Launches Nanaimo-focused Remembrance Day Project

For 11 days leading up to Remembrance Day, nearly 200 names of Nanaimo soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars will be displayed in prominent locations across the city.

Nanaimo Remembers is a unique video memorial project that displays details about the fallen soldiers listed on the Dallas Square Cenotaph downtown. Spearheaded by Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Marketing, Analytics, Recruitment & Communications department, in collaboration with the University’s Canadian Letters and Images Project (CLIP)and Nanaimo Community Archives, the project outlines each soldier’s name, rank and battalion (information from the Cenotaph) as well as – when available – their pre-war profession, when they died and at what age, where they are buried and their specific connection to Nanaimo.

“This display and the research that it is built upon does not exist anywhere else and is the first comprehensive research into First and Second World War soldiers from Nanaimo as a group that we know of,” says Dr. Stephen Davies, Director of CLIP. “In recent years, we have participated in The World Remembers, a display tribute to soldiers across the world who lost their lives in the Great War. This year, we wanted to localize our Remembrance Day project.”

The video presentation will run continuously from November 1-11, 2018, on the large screen in the Welcome Centre (Building 300) at VIU’s Nanaimo Campus. It will also be showcased at several locations in the community during this time:

• through Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools’ website, social media accounts and at any schools that wish to participate;
• and at several City of Nanaimo facilities including Beban Park, the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and Oliver Woods Community Centre.

Davies, along with VIU alumni connected to CLIP, worked hard to pull together the information needed for Nanaimo Remembers.

“Many of the descendants of the people memorialized in the project live in Nanaimo today, so I am anticipating this to be a very meaningful project for many people in the community,” says Davies. “We hope this shines a light on the incredible contributions and sacrifices made by local soldiers and their families.”

­

-30-

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jenn McGarrigle, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University

P: 250.740.6559 | C: 250.619.6860 | E: Jenn.McGarrigle@viu.ca | T: @VIUNews