Posted by Anne Seignot on Sep 03, 2010
The summer has been full of travelling and meeting new people! We travelled to Alberta, we toured the Gaspésie Region, and then our team made stops in New Brunswick and in Newfoundland. During the Memory Project’s summer events, I have had the chance to see and touch some amazing artefacts that have survived for over 65 years.
Posted by Katie DeClerq on Sep 01, 2010
I remember trying to explain e-mail to my grandmother. She sent me letters quite often, but I, being a child of the late twentieth century, insisted that she learn how to use both e-mail and instant messaging so that we could correspond more quickly.
Posted by Andrew Theobald on Aug 27, 2010
In October, The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War will launch We Were Freedom: Canadian Stories of the Second World War.
Posted by Ric Pettit on Aug 13, 2010
The Memory Project has developed new and exciting online components through which visitors can experience our archive of Second World War veteran testimonials, including regular podcasts, focus and discussion resources and interactive timelines.
Posted by Katie DeClerq on Aug 13, 2010
Works inspired by Stories of the Second World War
Posted by Colin MacKenzie on Aug 13, 2010
A very good friend of mine had been working as an interviewer at The Memory Project for about a year when I dropped in on her at their Toronto offices for a coffee and a chat. By that point the project was quickly amassing hundreds of interviews.
Posted by Katie DeClerq on Jun 29, 2010
Fame by accident; immortality by chance. Either way, Nurse Edith Shain will never be able to take back her spontaneous kiss in Times Square on V-J Day.
Posted by Katie Declerq on Jun 10, 2010
As someone who works in the communications office, I do not get as many opportunities to interact with veterans as our interviewers do. My job is primarily to contact the media to promote the project, as well as the events at which the interviews take place.
Posted by Katie DeClerq on Jun 08, 2010
It is one thing to learn to fly and fight from above, and quite another to be forced to run for your life.
Posted by Anne Seignot on Jun 01, 2010
During the era of the Internet and new methods of communication, I am always surprised by the importance written correspondence held during the Second World War.
Posted by Stephanie Markowitz on May 20, 2010
The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War has the capacity to capture stories from Second World War veterans in both video and audio.
Posted by Sam Gojanovich on May 20, 2010
As part of The Memory Project, we always encourage veterans to bring memorabilia and photographs from their service.
Posted by Davida Aronovitch on May 20, 2010
Have you ever wondered what it felt for Canadians when the Second World War ended?
Posted by Jennifer Givogue on May 18, 2010
After having worked only three weeks with the Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War, I interviewed Mr. Jacques Nadeau from Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal regiment.
Posted by Andrew Theobald on Apr 29, 2010
In interviews with The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War, veterans often share stories of difficult or incredibly traumatic experiences. At the same time, some topics are rarely brought up at all.
Posted by Marie-Eve Deleris on Apr 22, 2010
When I explain The Memory Project to people around me, one of the responses I most often get is « Are there enough veterans left to interview? » Or “You should have done this long ago!”
Posted by Judy Lam-Maxwell on Apr 19, 2010
In December, The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War held an event in Edmonton and a man named Godfrey “Bud” Schaupmeyer attended.
Posted by Anne Seignot on Apr 08, 2010
This is the question I asked myself while writing the captions for the photos loaned by Mr. Curry and Mr. Knowles, two Second World War veterans who participated in the Memory Project.
Posted by Sam Gojanovich on Apr 07, 2010
During many interviews I am often impressed at the level of responsibility that was thrust upon our Veterans so early on in their lives.
Posted by Stephanie Markowitz on Mar 10, 2010
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Joe Hickson on the telephone. When I explained to Mr. Hickson that our interview would take about 30 minutes, he laughed.
Posted by Shayla Howell on Feb 24, 2010
I’ve just had an eerie experience of life imitating art, or perhaps a better description would be art actually capturing life.
Posted by Andrew Theobald on Feb 24, 2010
Since I began working for The Memory Project, a remark often made to me by veterans goes something like this: are you sure you would be interested in my story, I was a Wren, or I was not in the Canadian Army.
Posted by Anne Seignot on Jan 24, 2010
I would like to take advantage of this blog article to pay tribute to all of the people who take care of veterans in retirement homes.
Posted by Frances Cation on Jan 24, 2010
At The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War, we interview veterans both in person and over the phone.
Posted by Jennifer Givogue on Jan 24, 2010
I met Second World War veteran Gerald James (ret. Sergeant) at a Memory Project event at the Okanagan Military Museum in Kelowna, BC. During his interview, Mr. James discussed many “stories of great coincidence” that occurred during and since the war.
Posted by Sam Gojanovich on Dec 22, 2009
People like to say that you make your own luck, but after some of the conversations I’ve had with veterans of the Second World War I’ve come to question that saying.
Posted by Jill Paterson on Dec 22, 2009
I often act as the media spokesperson at our Memory Project digitization events around the country.
Posted by Frances Cation on Dec 21, 2009
On Monday December 7th, I attended a wonderful workshop with the rest of the Stories of the Second World War team.
While interviewing veterans in Moncton and Miramichi this November, I found that these veterans had a different wartime experience than veterans in other areas that I have visited.
Posted by Anne Seignot on Dec 21, 2009
During our event in December in Edmonton, Alberta, journalists from the local press, radio and TV joined us at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 175. Being the only person from France within the team, I was interviewed by three different media sources to share my experience as part of The Memory Project.
Posted by Andrew Theobald on Dec 18, 2009
The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War Digital Archive has the very real potential to play a vital role in the debates surrounding the 1939-45 conflict. Perhaps the most highly charged of these surrounds the Allied bombing campaign.
Posted by Stephanie Markowitz on Dec 16, 2009
Recently in a workshop on the subject of oral history and digital story-telling, Dr. Stephen High of Concordia University, spoke of the practice of oral history.
Posted by Jennifer Givogue on Dec 15, 2009
Many veterans have recounted stories of falling in love during the war, and marrying their sweethearts—they tell me of celebrating 60 plus years together.
Posted by Anne Seignot on Nov 30, 2009
One of our latest events took place in New Brunswick, at the end of November. I scanned and took pictures of different artefacts and mementos that the veterans kindly brought along with them.
Posted by Andrew Theobald on Nov 26, 2009
What should young people know about the Second World War? I ask each of the veterans that I interview for The Memory Project this question.
Posted by Sam Gojanovich on Nov 18, 2009
A couple of years ago my wife and I discovered a small Legion in our neighbourhood. We were curious about what went on behind the closed doors of the Royal Canadian Legion, and on a bit of a lark, we decided to join.
Posted by Stephanie Markowitz on Nov 18, 2009
It is hard to shake the feeling that this project is happening five or ten years too late.
Posted by Sam Gojanovich on Nov 17, 2009
One of the real pleasures of working for The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War has been the opportunity to interact with veterans. These men and women experienced first-hand an event in our history that has always captivated me on a personal level.
Posted by Anne Seignot on Nov 12, 2009
As Collections Coordinator, each day I gather new artefacts and memorabilia that Canadian veterans have either sent us by mail or given us in person, during our interviews with them across Canada.
Posted by Jennifer Givogue on Nov 10, 2009
My grandfather, Private Paul-Émile Givogue enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army on January 11, 1943 and was active in the Second World War until he was discharged in 1946.
Posted by Frances Cation on Nov 09, 2009
Before I joined the Memory Project in early September 2009, I was uncertain about how open WWII veterans would be to discussing their war-time memories
Posted by Andrew Theobald on Nov 06, 2009
It is gratifying to work for a project that grants all interested Second World War veterans the same opportunity to be recognized.
Posted by Stephanie Markowitz on Oct 28, 2009
In meeting Second World War veterans and listening to their stories, I realize that every story is vastly different and every person has a unique perspective and experience.
Posted by Shayla Howell on Oct 26, 2009
“These things stick with you.” I hear this said regularly. Wet uniforms, slit trenches, back-to-back sorties, hammocks, civilian casualties, facing the enemy, losing comrades. These things stick with you.
Posted by Jenna Zuschlag Misener on Oct 14, 2009
Welcome to the Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War project blog! This space will be home to a behind-the-scenes look at the work of our interviewers and researchers as they travel coast to coast collecting the stories and memorabilia of Second World War veterans.
Posted by Jennifer Givogue on Oct 10, 2009
I started working for The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 with no real idea of what it would be like to actually record veterans’ stories from the Second World War.