It wasn't enough to build one trench in Port Moody to depict life for a soldier 100 years ago.
Now, a new trench is being built at the Port Moody Station Museum that will be more than double the size of the first one that opened on Canada Day. And the new one will be in place for four years to teach people about trench living conditions and the sacrifice of First World War veterans.
"This is going to be a realistic trench system," said organizer and PoMo resident Guy Black, who hopes to have the first phase done in time for Remembrance Day ceremonies in November, with the remaining portions open by spring, and in place to coincide with anniversaries for WWI that lasted from 1914 to 1918.
The McKnight Trench, named for Augustus McKnight, a PoMo engineer who died during the war, it will be 70 feet long and eight feet deep.
Groundbreaking ceremony takes placeSaturday from 8:30 to 9 a.m. (See story below).
"It's a huge engineering undertaking," said John Goheen, principal of Rochester elementary school, who has won awards for tours of remembrance he leads for the Royal Canadian Legion and who is overseeing the project.
EDUCATE STUDENTS
"We are going to use the trench as part of their [students'] learning," he said. "We want to make it open to schools.
"It's nothing to do with glorification of war, it's all to do with learning, understanding and awareness, and combatting ignorance," said Goheen, who will also be developing the educational materials.
The educator said he hopes to shed some light on the experience of WWI vets, most of whom would have spent time in a trench, where mud, lice and rats were as common as lack of sleep - although the food was plentiful and rum rations were daily.
"[Trench life] would have been a common experience that everyone would have had in WWI, " he said, explaining that trench life was so difficult, 1,000 men died every day through "wastage" from disease, injury and poor living conditions.
"It was vile and disgusting and dirty for people living in these conditions," he said, admitting, "There's no way of recreating that."
But Goheen hopes the trench being built for the museum will provide an eye-opening look into the life of a vet from 100 years ago, and from this, people will learn not to glorify war but to promote peace.
To find out more about Canada's involvement in WW I (1914-1914), visit www.veterans.gc.ca
Also promoting peace is a new meditation garden that has been built over the summer next to the area where the trench will be located. It was built by vollunteers Linda Moncur (pictured), Peter Hiebert and Port Moody Station Museum curator Jim Millar.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
A ground-breaking ceremony will be held Saturday from 8:30 to 9 a.m. for the construction of a 70-foot front line trench that will be used to educate people about the soldiers' experience during World War 1. Among those attending the Sept. 20 event at the Port Moody Station Museum will be politicians, members of the trench-digging team and cadets from 2573 6 Engineer Squadron of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. Those planning to help should bring their own shovel.
Educational programming is also planned. The program Life in the Trenches: WWI provides participants an opportunity to explore and identify the factors of trench life during the First World War. Through activities, presentations, discussions and a tour of the trench, the student discovers the daily challenges of life in the trench and gains an appreciation for the contributions these men and women made for Canada. The impact of WWI on Canadian history is explored and discussed, with a focus on peace and remembrance. The cost for the education program is $3 per student for a minimum of 10 students, for ages nine to 17 years. Find out more at www.portmoodymuseum.org or call 604-939-1648.
