April 17, 2014
The following is being distributed at the request of The Rooms:
Residents of the Province Called On to Help Preserve First World War Legacy
Residents of the province will have a unique opportunity to be part of preserving the legacy of the First World War and its lasting impact on Newfoundland and Labrador. This spring, The Rooms will travel the province in search of stories and artifacts relating to the war overseas and the war effort at home. Dubbed The First World War Road Show and Tell, the project will kick off in Bay Roberts on April 21.
“The war had an immense impact on the population of Newfoundland and Labrador, and it changed our politics, economy and future,” said Dean Brinton, Chief Executive Officer of The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador. “We have a collective responsibility to preserve the rich and diverse record of this formative event in our history.”
Almost everything will be welcome at the road show, from uniforms to letters, postcards to knitting patterns, and family tales to photographs. However, The Rooms requests that no weapons or munitions be brought in, but photographs and details of these are welcome. Artifacts and documents will be catalogued, photographed and scanned, and stories will be recorded. Items will be left with their owners, and the monetary value of items will not be evaluated. Instead, everything will be valued as a crucial piece of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.
“We know a wealth of memories and memorabilia have been passed on and preserved in families and communities,” said Mr. Brinton. “We must ensure no aspect of the sacrifices and contributions—overseas and here at home—is lost, forgotten or overlooked.”
In May, the team will travel through central Newfoundland and, in June, they will be in Labrador, the west coast and the northern peninsula. The details of the road shows in the various locations will be advertised through local newspapers, public service announcements and social media.
The community outreach project is a first step in bringing together a new permanent exhibition about the First World War, to open on July 1, 2016, the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel. This exhibition, in turn, is part of a much larger commemorative undertaking and campaign that will involve site development, archaeology, education and outreach.
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Media contact:
Leslie Vryenhoek
The Rooms
709-757-8071, 691-4981
leslievryenhoek@therooms.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Schedule of community visits for the First World War Road Show and Tell
| April 21 | Bay Roberts: Royal Canadian Legion 32 108 Water Street Information Session: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. |
| April 22 | Show & Tell Session: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
| May 5-6 | Grand Bank |
| May 6-7 | Marystown |
| May 7-8 | Wesleyville |
| May 8-9 | Trinity/Bonavista |
| May 12-13 | Springdale |
| May 13-14 | Grand Falls Windsor |
| May 14-15 | Twillingate |
| May 15-16 | Fogo |
| June 4-5 | Stephenville |
| June 5-6 | Corner Brook |
| June 11-12 | Northwest River |
| June 12-13 | St. Anthony |
2014 04 17 11:15 a.m.