Curtis Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Fair address: South Shore Regional School Board

Project: Forging History

My project is about my exciting opportunity to contribute a forged Canadian poppy to an international Cenotaph event. The new Cenotaph is being made in Belgium and commemorates all affected by World War One. My project also explores how we as Canadians contributed and did our part in World War One and how we continue to honour this.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing that I have learned from my topic was how to forge the metal poppies for the Cenotaph. Because I love to blacksmith, I was very excited to find out how important blacksmiths and farriers were to the war effort. This makes it very meaningful that the blacksmithing community around the world is coming together to forge the 2016 poppies needed for the new Cenotaph.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

A big lesson I have learned is how much devastation war has caused all over the world. I have also learned that peace is a great privilege and that we often take it for granted. The Cenotaph is important to help us remember the sacrifice already made and to remind us not to repeat the same mistakes.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

I can relate to the blacksmiths and farriers from World War One because we both enjoy the same trade. Thankfully, I am much safer than the soldiers who fought in the battlefields and trenches. I have a warm dry place to stay, good food, and plenty of fun things to do, but these things would have been non existent for the soldiers during World War One. The greatest comparison is that I now live in peace because of their conflict and sacrifice.