In early June, 16 students who have been involved with the We Were Here history project, a partnered initiative between the Hill 70 Memorial Group and the Upper Canada District School Board, launched a documentary that starred them, their learning, and the lasting impact this project has had.
The 20-minute documentary follows the students around their 10-day excursion to Europe in October 2024. Students visited France and Belgium and were fully immersed in history from the First World War, visiting sites such as the Canadian National Vimmy Memorial, the Brooding Soldier, Hill 70 Memorial, France’s national memorial Notre Dame de Lorette, and Langemark, a German First World War cemetery.
For Grade 11 students Lilly Taylor and AJ Irvine, both from Athens District High School, this project has been part of their course calendar for two school years, and they are looking forward to expanding on this project in year three in the fall.
For Irvine, the involvement in this project has changed his outlook on history. Students were given a fallen soldier’s case file and were tasked with researching and helping to identify them. “When we started putting the data in, that got me really interested because I could see this was a specific person and I could see into their life, not just a group of people from the past. That is what got me hooked. I wasn’t really interested in history before this.”
For Taylor, she says she’s always been interested in history, and the opportunities she had through this project and excursion are experiences she will carry with her. “Menin Gate [Memorial] is a giant arch in Ypres, Belgium that has the names of soldiers who lost their lives in the war engraved all on the inside. Every night there's a remembrance ceremony held there, and wreaths are laid. I had the chance to lay a wreath myself, which is, I think, a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It was absolutely amazing. It was at the end of our trip, and it was incredibly emotional. It just wrapped up everything we did.”
The documentary was screened at the Brockville Arts Center for family, friends, partners from the Hill 70 Memorial Group, school board administration, and several local veterans.
“Giving students a first-hand look at battlefields and having them learn the history that was made in those places, and then witnessing the student’s reaction through this documentary – it was more than moving,” said Colonel Mark Hutchings, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Hill 70 Foundation, and one of many veterans, active-duty officers, and community members at the screening. “As a veteran, it’s comforting to know that students are still learning about the sacrifices that were made and are truly experiencing the history of it all. I could tell from the student’s reactions that what they learned, it will be something they remember and an experience they will share with others for a long time.”
The video will be shared widely with schools in the fall when We Were Here projects start up again, and in advance of the next group of students who leave for the 2025 excursion.
“I hope this video also inspires more students to apply for this trip. It's such an important and impactful experience for anybody who goes,” says Taylor