The Maple Leaf Legacy Project developed from Steve Douglas’ search for a millennium project. His interest in photography, computers, and history merged into an idea that has garnered a great deal of attention.
Maple Leaf Legacy Project a Virtual National War Cemetery
The plan is to develop a website that will be freely available to everyone in Canada’s two official languages. Photographs of every Canadian War Grave of the 20th century and early 21st century, each with its own web page, will be displayed on the completed virtual National War Cemetery. People who cannot travel the great distances to personally see them will be able to view their loved ones’ gravestones and the inscriptions.
Touch-Screen Interactive Computer Kiosks
Steve Douglas hopes to have touch-screen interactive computer kiosks established. Placed at prominent locations such as the House of Commons, provincial and territorial Legislatures, and the Canadian War Museum, the kiosks would enable visitors to find photographs and print out copies on site.
Campaigns in which Canadians Gave their Lives in the Cause of Peace and Freedom
- South African Boer War (1899-1902)
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1952)
- All United Nations Peacekeeping Missions
- Present-Day Conflict in Afghanistan
Maple Leaf Legacy Project a Resource for Family Historians
The Maple Leaf Legacy Project is an opportunity to preserve the memory of Canada’s fallen during the 20th century and into the 21st century. It is also an opportunity for Canada’s citizens and friends to build an archival record that would be a valuable tool for research and teaching.
The majority of informative military documents pertain only to higher ranked personnel. The Maple Leaf Legacy Project will provide information regarding all military personnel including nurses, doctors, and ambulance drivers. It could be a wonderful resource for family historians.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission List
“We work with a list provided by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission”, said Steve Douglas. The Commission’s mandate is to establish and provide perpetual care of all Commonwealth war graves. “Many soldiers have been found every year since the wars and continue to be found in former battlefields”, Douglas added.
Maple Leaf Legacy Project Support
In response to the question of support from Department of National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), and Canadian Legions, Steve Douglas said, “They all think it is a great idea and wish us well, but provide no support financially or logistically. VAC offered to 'buy' all of our images and put them on their site.” The offer was not accepted.
Great interest and support for the Maple Leaf Legacy Project is displayed in the number of volunteers involved. As stated on the website, “To date, the project has been honoured with the assistance of at least 730 wonderful and generous volunteers from around the world”. Of the more than 115,000 war graves and commemorations in seventy-four countries, 105,420 have been photographed to date.
Maple Leaf Legacy Project Logo
During the1917 battle of Vimy Ridge, France, an unknown Canadian soldier made a leaf-shaped carving on a tunnel wall below the Ridge. Under the leaf is a carved ‘V’ that could represent Vimy, Victory, or the soldier’s hometown. The Maple Leaf Legacy Project logo is an adaptation of those images.
Steve Douglas, currently based in Ieper, (Ypres) Belgium for easy access to war cemeteries on the western front, hopes to complete the project during 2014 – the centenary of the World War I outbreak. He owns and runs The British Grenadier Bookshop and Salient Tours in Ypres.
The Maple Leaf Legacy Project is a Registered Canadian Charity. Volunteers, donors, and sponsors are invited to participate.
Source:
Steve Douglas, Director, Maple Leaf Legacy Project
Kathleen Airdrie - Kathleen has thirty years' freelance writing experience covering history, biographical profiles, environmental and social issues
Join the Conversation