Doing Our Bit: Canadians and the Great War
Illustration by Lou Skuce from a Souvenir Programme for a Patriotic Concert, Massey Hall, Toronto, 1914.
About the Exhibit
An exhibition documenting the impact of the First World War on Canadians at home and in Europe featuring the collections of the Toronto Reference Library.
The First World War, 1914 - 1918, involved combatants and allies from 32 different nations, and by its end would claim over 8,500,000 lives. At the time, it was called the Great War; it was to be the last time war would be fought on such a scale.
The Great War has been recognized as an important step in Canada's journey toward nationhood. During the war years Canada earned a reputation as a fighting force and took its place internationally, proud of its British heritage, but increasingly independent. This exhibition of original materials from the Toronto Reference Library tells the story of individual Canadians, how the war touched their lives, and how they "did their bit" for the empire during the Great War. Each artifact represents a tiny fragment of the past ...each photograph has a story, each letter has a sender, each message has a receiver and in drawing together these elements, the Canadian war experience is presented and shared.