Alberta and The Great War is the title of a new exhibit set to hit the Lloydminster Cultural and Science Center this summer.
Lloydminster and area residents will be able to pay homage to Canadian veterans, and specifically Albertan veterans as well, while learning more about the First World War.
The exhibit is on loan from the Provincial Archives of Alberta and shows the many ways that the First World War changed the province of Alberta forever. The display is made up of 18 wall panels, approximately 37 running feet, and a DVD that will be played throughout, to show some of the archives in Alberta’s collection.
“Not only does it have pictures of wartime action happening in Europe, but also how Alberta dealt with World War I. This was a very unique sort of war happening in the beginning of the 20th Century because war was changing significantly for all nations,” says Natalie Clysdale, Supervisor of the LCSC.
“And so, that’s sort of an interesting point as to why it needs to be showcased in Alberta… You have men charging into war with swords and horses and you had other countries that had tanks and artillery. So it was, like I said, a huge change in warfare was happening during World War I… you have breastplates and helmets that look very medieval next to shrapnel and weaponry,” she explains.
The museum is also taking this opportunity to bring many of its First World War artifacts out of storage. A number of which were donated from locals according to Clysdale.
“One particular example is, we have an individual who donated a large collection of German artifacts that were taken from German POWs while he was serving in Europe in World War I.”
The Alberta and the Great War Travelling Exhibition will be hosted in the museum’s Community Gallery from July 1 to September 17, 2016. Regular admission fees will apply, however, as was announced by the Alberta government back in May, this is one of the many displays and activities that Fort McMurray evacuees have access to free of charge, until September 15.
Summer hours for the LCSC are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Fridays,Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.