There are no rats and nary a dram of whiskey to be found but, other than those missing elements, the McKnight Trench, dug out of the dirt behind Port Moody Station Museum, is as authentic a First World War re-creation as any you will find in this century.
Built by volunteers led by Guy Black of Port Moody, the trench is almost 85% complete, with boards to walk on, observation areas and shell-protection sites, ladders and plenty of sandbags.
Help is needed to build the trench
Port Moody Trench to fill gap in knowledge
It has taken hundreds of hours to build since the project was started Sept. 20, 2014 to mark the 100th anniversary of WWI because all the work has been done by hand - no backhoes allowed.
Black says he is proud of the work that was done this winter, even when it was wet and cold and the ground was frozen.
"We just kept pushing it and pushing it," said Black of the effort to complete the trench in time for an April 4 opening ceremony.
After the special event, the trench will be open to visitors, with museum staff leading tours using information provided by School District 43 educator and WWI historian John Goheen.
Below: volunteers Alan Fox, Sonny Son and Guy Black.
But the heavy labour and intricate construction have already drawn a number of visitors and stares as people drive by the project off Murray Street on their way past Rocky Point Park.
"We get a lot of second looks, a lot of rubber-necking," Black said.
The trench was designed by Goheen based on authentic trench plans and includes many of the reinforcement, observation and protection elements one would normally find in a WWI trench lived in by Canadian and British soldiers. Also involved are museum creator Jim Millar and Markus Fahrner, who is writing a blog about the project (www.fahrnerandfahrner.com/trench).
Honorary colonel Jim Happer is the patron and the 6 Engineer Squadron cadets from North Vancouver and the Royal Westminster Regiment Army Cadet Corps from Aldergrove are participating in the project as well.
Black said he is most impressed with the young people who have come out to help, digging dirt, building a barbed wire fence and filling sandbags.
"They come out, work hard and never complain," said Black.
Below: Fox looking out over the trench towards 'No Man's Land'.
JUST THE FACTS: THE TRENCH
Key facts about the McKnight trench:
Approximately 70 feet of trench, to a maximum of six feet, reinforced by plywood, corrugated steel and dirt as well as more than 500 sandbags.
Digging began Sept. 20, 2014 and the full trench, designed by School District 43 principal John Goheen, will be complete March 7.
Several volunteers, aided by cadets from Maple Ridge and North Vancouver, helped with the work, with digging and construction taking place on weekends.
Lumber was donated by Mill and Timber.
