According to Barrie legion historian Steve Glover, the average age of a Second World War veteran is now 102 years old, which means their stories, unless shared, could soon be lost for good.
That’s why he and fellow member/volunteer David Mills are hoping to find a way to engage students across Simcoe County through a writing contest that will not only serve as a great learning opportunity, but also a great way to honour local veterans in advance of next year's 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Glover, who serves as the public affairs officer for Barrie's Royal Canadian Legion branch, and Mills say the goal is to get the younger generation engaged in remembering and honouring local veterans.
“We are forgetting,” Mills said. “Kids have no idea, so how do we re-energize everything around here? When people are looking at things like Ukraine (and) Gaza and everything going on over there, and we’ve got this … well, we got this because people went and fought and died for us.”
Glover pointed to the success of a program last year where local students were invited to create a poster in advance of Remembrance Day. He said the response to that initiative was overwhelming.
“We put out all the posters that had been submitted. The place was packed. They start to recognize how important it is,” he said, adding the hope is this newest endeavour will be even more successful.
Titled “The Importance of Remembering — A Simcoe County Veteran who served Canada during WWII," elementary and secondary students between the ages of 12 and 18 years old will be invited to enter the contest, which can be completed in either English or French.
“Specifically, we are looking to remember and honour a person who served in the Canadian Armed Forces who was born and/or grew up in Simcoe County who enlisted and served Canada during World War Two,” said Glover, adding the presentation can profile a member of the student’s family or simply someone they admire or find interesting.
Kristen McDade, principal at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Angus, just a few minutes from Canadian Forces Base Borden, said that given their proximity to the local military base, many students there are a little bit more acquainted with the important role military personnel play in our country.
“These students have parents and other family members who have made sacrifices to serve and protect our country," McDade said. "Every opportunity we can take to show respect to those who have served and to educate students about the important role our veterans have played is beneficial. Our school certainly looks forward to participating in this writing contest."
The partnership with the Barrie legion will provide students with a valuable, hands-on opportunity to appreciate and honour those who have served our country, said Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board trustee Maria Hardie, who represents Barrie wards 6-10.
"Thankfully, most of our young people are far removed from the atrocities of war, which is why we need to make intentional efforts for our students to learn about the brave men and women who put their lives on the line so that we can live in a country that is free, safe and strong,” she said.
Student presentations need to be between four and six minutes long and should also include photos of the individual, including at least one of them donning their service uniform.
If the photo is high quality enough, noted Glover, the legion may even consider using it as part of its ongoing flag banner display project.
Students are encouraged to include as much information as they can find for the written and oral presentations, including details on the person’s life prior enlisting — such as where they grew up, what schools they attended and where they worked, photos, the date they enlisted and where, what regiment or battalion they were in, where they completed their training, as well as where they served.
Participants are also asked to include service record details, and details about any specialized skills the veteran had as part of their military role.
The presentations will evaluate the student’s research activity, bibliography and general subject matter knowledge and will be completed by a panel of judges chosen by the Barrie Legion Youth & Education Committee, Glover said.
The deadline for written submissions is Friday, April 2.
The top three submissions will be selected by April 15, at which point they will be invited to present their submission in a formal, multimedia format to an audience at the Barrie Royal Canadian Legion branch on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
A panel of judges will then select the order of the top three presenters.
The first-place winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500; the second-place winner will given $1,500; and the third-place winner will get $1,000. Each winner's school will also receive a $1,000 to its history department.
