What better way to get a sense of the First and Second World wars than to visit a travelling exhibit and speak to people who’ve visited battlefields in France.
Grades 7 and 8 students from Baxter Central Public School visited Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie on Thursday to see the interactive Vimy to Juno exhibit.
Christa Culhane, a history teacher at Bear Creek and assistant chair of the high school’s Canadian and World Studies Department, said the exhibit is a wealth of knowledge to share with other students in the area.
“It was an opportunity for these kids to see the exhibit without having to go to France, Toronto or Ottawa. It shows Canada’s contributions to both world wars,” she said. “The history department is trying to bring in a lot of these things.”
The exhibit features 12 panels and models as well as interactive displays and videos. It has been housed at the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, France and at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
The exhibit is now on the road to complement the Grade 10 Canadian history curriculum.
Bear Creek students Jadyn Powell and Ricki Harris -- who were part of the Vimy 100 tour last April -- were on hand Thursday to show Baxter Central pupils through some of the exhibit.
“I think it’s really cool,” Powell said. “It gives you a great perspective, better than a textbook.”
Harris agreed: “And by being there, it gives us a deeper understanding of what happened.”
The exhibit will remain at Bear Creek, located at 100 Red Oak Dr., until March 9. There is also a public viewing Thursday from 6-8 p.m., where students from the Vimy 100 tour will be on hand to share their knowledge and overseas experience at various historical sites.
For more information, visit vimytojuno.ca./en.
