Future generations will be able to get a first-person sense of living through a time of war in Vancouver Island’s Veterans — Celebrating our Nation’s Heroes, a video that chronicles the extraordinary stories of men and women of our military.
Broadmead Care Society partnered with Suburbia Studios and Dave Wallace of Riptide Studios to create a video that honours the courage, bravery and sacrifice of Canada’s veterans.
The project was made possible thanks to grants from the Victoria Foundation.
“The video was a way to celebrate and honour their contribution,” said Mandy Parker, director of development at the Broadmead Care Society. “They fought for many of the freedoms Canadians enjoy today. This was a way for them to tell their stories — and so that we don’t lose that history.”
The 30-minute video (10-minute versions are expected, as well) features interviews with six veterans, including a former member of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, referred to as Wrens.
Several of the veterans live at the Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead, which has beds for as many as 115 veterans. The facility also offers respite care, and drop-in programs for seniors living independently.
The video will be presented at a special screening on Nov. 10 at the Lodge at Broadmead. The video will also be released simultaneously on the residential-care facility’s website.
It will be made available to middle and high schools, with some are participating in a Thank a Vet campaign, in which students are invited to write thank-you notes that will be given to veterans. Students who are inspired by the video to learn more about history are invited to interact personally with the veterans, some of whom have photographic memories.
“It’s important for students to know and remember the sacrifice of our veterans,” Parker said.
After being shared on social-media channels, commemorative copies will be distributed to friends and family members of the interviewees.
People are invited to the video’s première, which takes place at 10:30 a.m., Nov. 10 at the Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead, 4579 Chatterton Way. It will also be available on the website on the same day, at broadmeadcare.com.