Canadian War Museum launches ambitious project to preserve the experiences of war veterans and their families

MEDIA RELEASE

Ottawa, Ontario, April 27, 2022 — In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Families, an initiative to preserve the memories and post-war experiences of Canadian veterans and their families, has just been launched by the Canadian War Museum. Building on the Museum’s already impressive collection of oral histories, this dynamic project will gather more stories from veterans of all eras. This effort takes on even greater significance as Canada prepares for its annual V-E Day commemorations.

“First-hand perspectives are so essential to understanding the impact of military service and conflict,” said Dr. Dean Oliver, Acting Vice-President and Director General of the Canadian War Museum. “We are interested in capturing voices from all conflicts, but this project is particularly urgent given that there are now only 22,000 surviving members of the 1.1 million people in Canada who contributed to the Second World War.”

In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Families will carry a unique focus by targeting stories that capture how veterans transitioned back to civilian life – a rich but under-examined aspect of our history. Capturing the viewpoints of family members will also be important. Together, these perspectives will provide a better understanding of the effects of conflict and service across families and generations.

A future online portal will present audio recordings, photographs and artifact images to the public. Plans for a conference and a book based on the project are also in development. Once completed, In Their Own Voices will offer a legacy for future generations of students and scholars, and serve as an important research resource.

Veterans and their families interested in being interviewed for this historic collection may visit warmuseum.ca/voices.

In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Families is generously supported by The A. Britton Smith Family, Azrieli Foundation, Arthur B.C. Drache, C.M., Q.C. and Judy Young Drache, The Royal Canadian Legion, Legion National Foundation, Friends of the Canadian War Museum, and individuals from across Canada.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national and international dimensions. Work of the Canadian War Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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Media contacts
Avra Gibbs Lamey
Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 613-791-0910
avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca