50 WWI letters in 50 Days

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. As part of Parks Canada’s national commemoration events, on Wednesday, September 23, 2014, Fort Rodd Hill will begin sharing a collection of letters from the Grant family, which detail the heart-wrenching story of an ordinary family in British Columbia faced with World War I.

What was it like during wartime to anxiously wait for news of a loved one? Back then, they didn’t have e-mail or instant messaging! Letters took months to travel back and forth from Europe to Canada. Using historical photos and letters sent between the siblings of the Grant family, Parks Canada breathes new life into one-hundred year-old events. Experience the nail-biting suspense of waiting for war letters from loved ones at home and overseas. For forty-nine days, we will post a daily excerpt on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

“Dearest Belle” commemorates the 100th anniversary of World War I, and we need your help to share these letters across the country. The Grant family letters provide a unique opportunity to connect with the First World War on a deeper and more personal level. They are also a reminder of the thousands of other young Canadians that headed off for war in Europe, and the families they left behind. Their educational, historic and emotional value is immeasurable.

Beginning September 23, please follow along with our daily posts and help us to spread the letters with Canadians and history enthusiasts far and wide by:

· Liking and Sharing our posts on facebook.com/FortRoddFisgardNHS

· Following and Retweeting us on twitter.com/FortRoddFisgard

For more information about the Grant family and the Belle Letters project check our website:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill/natcul/natcul1/b.aspx