Manitoba Commemorates 100th Anniversary of the End of the First World War

The Manitoba government will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War with a number of special events and an open house at the Archives of Manitoba, Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox announced today.

“We must honour these important milestones in our history,” Cox said.  “By remembering the past, we are reminded of the need for all of us to work toward a better future.”

When the Armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918, it ended four years of fighting that saw more than 650,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders serving.  Over 170,000 soldiers were wounded and 66,000 were killed.

The Archives of Manitoba has a number of events to commemorate the centenary of the First World War including a display at the archives.  At 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, a special dramatic reading from the letters and diaries of Manitoba soldiers will be read by students from École Secondaire Kelvin High School.  The archives is hosting an open house for two days, Nov. 9 and 10, between noon and 4 p.m., featuring a display of records related to the experience of Manitobans at home and overseas.

In addition, the Legislative Library is participating with an exhibit titled ‘As the War Ends:  Manitoba Newspapers Recount the Last Days’ with century-old newspapers from the time of Armistice on display near the Grand Staircase at the Legislative Building until Nov. 13.

More information on the events around the centenary of the Armistice is available at www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/.