Several historical groups in the Tri-Cities are staging war displays and talks in the lead up to — and after — Remembrance Day next week.
Until Nov. 30, the Coquitlam Heritage Society has a show at the City Centre branch of the Coquitlam Public Library titled Remembering the Great War, with items on loan from the Canadian Military Education Centre.
The city's archives also has an online exhibit called Don't Forget Your Dadie: A Coquitlam Family and the First World War, featuring photos of the Windram family and attestation papers and other documents from Fraser Mills worker Alexander Windram. Visit coquitlam.ca/city-hall/city-government/archives.
And PoCo Heritage has a virtual display on its website (pocoheritage.org) called Westminster Junction to the Western Front, 1914-1918, that looks at the service of father and son Thomas and Harold Routley.
At Port Moody city hall, military expert Guy Black has his annual veterans salute — featuring stories and images of Port Moody soldiers — on until Nov. 14. Black has included more than a dozen paintings and handmade poppies from students at the Evelia Espinosa Art Studio and Moody elementary.
Over at the Port Moody Station Museum, staff have a week of Remembrance events, focusing Indigenous soldiers in WWI:
• Nov. 8 at 5:30 p.m.: Squamish First Nation member Alice Guss leads a drum making workshop on Aboriginal Veterans Day;
• Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.: John Goheen talks about the Battle of Passchendaele, which will be followed by a candlelight vigil in the outside trench at 8 p.m. where playwright Charlotte Cameron will read from her book that has a one-act play titled Running: The Alex Decoteau Story (he as the first Indigenous police officer in Canada, an Olympian and a message runner in WWI who died at Passchendaele);
• and Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.: Tom van Walleghem talks about First Nations soldiers in WWI after the official opening of the museum's new exhibit, Tell us the Stories.
To RSVP for the workshops and lectures, call the PoMo Museum at 604-939-1648.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Naval Veterans Band stops by Coquitlam's Dogwood Pavilion on Nov. 8 to play songs from the war years, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the concert. The event is for adults only. Save a spot by calling 604-927-4386.
