In observance of Indigenous Veterans Day on November 8 and Remembrance Day on November 11, the Royal BC Museum and IMAX® Victoria are offering a curated series of films, events and resources. Join us as we pay tribute to those who have served and made sacrifices for their country.
Remembrance: Interpreting Historical Photographs from WWII
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- Join the Royal BC Museum’s history collections manager Paul Ferguson for “Remembrance: Interpreting Historical Photographs from WWII.” Two free online programs will explore historical photographs and the stories they tell. Participants will also discover how to analyze and draw inferences from these visual records to gain insights into the past through the lens of primary sources. Join Paul online at 9:10 AM for an event specially targeted to students ages 9 to 13, or at 1:15 PM for learners of all ages. Registration required.
Dunkirk
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- Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk recounts the mass evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and France during one of the fiercest battles in World War II. The film opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces, trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in. Tickets available through box office and at IMAX® Victoria.
Forgotten Warriors
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November 8, 6 PM, IMAX® Victoria, free admission, reserved seating
- This documentary introduces us to thousands of Indigenous Canadians who enlisted and fought alongside their countrymen and women during World War II, even though they could not be conscripted. Ironically, while they fought for the freedom of others, they were being denied equality in their own country and returned home to find their land seized. With narrator Gordon Tootoosis providing an historical overview, Indigenous veterans poignantly share their unforgettable war memories and their healing process. Tickets available through box office and at IMAX® Victoria.
British Columbia’s War: 1914 – 1918
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November 8-11, onsite, Clifford Carl Hall
- The Royal BC Museum dug deep into its collections to unearth powerful material about the Great War. This bilingual, travelling exhibition of graphic panels uses archival photographs and fascinating stories about British Columbia before the war, First Nations and Japanese-Canadian war heroes, life at the front and key battles at Ypres and Vimy Ridge, peace and problems of returning veterans, and more.
Remembrance Day Recital
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- A live concert of wartime music will be played from atop of the Netherlands Centennial Carillon on the museum precinct by provincial carillonneur Rosemary Laing following the conclusion of the ceremony at the cenotaph at the BC Legislature Building around 12 PM.
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- The Victoria Children’s Choir, one of the top choral and music organizations in the city, will perform a selection of songs to commemorate Remembrance Day.
For those interested in learning more about the significant events surrounding World War I and II, several resources are available through the Learning Portal, BC Archives collections database and the museum YouTube channel.
Additionally, a Learning Portal playlist has been created for Indigenous Veterans Day, a day of recognition for the thousands of First Peoples, Inuit and Métis who served in World War I and II, and the Korean War.
