War Museum building bridge between students and Veterans

Two hundred students and teachers representing 22 schools across Canada will be visiting the Canadian War Museum this Remembrance Day.

The students and teachers have spent time raising money for the Canadian War Museum’s Operation Veteran program, which allows the museum to offer complimentary meals to all Canadian Veterans visiting the Museum.

Since the program’s inception, the museum has provided over 15,000 meals and has engaged with thousands of students across Canada.

“Operation Veteran is an important program that engages new generations in their military history,” said Dr. Paul Kavanagh, founder Operation Veteran at the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel. “I am so pleased to continue to support this program and to see how it has grown since 2009.”

On November 11, the students will meet Kavanagh, and visit the National War Memorial to pay their respects before touring the Museum.

“We are proud of the role we play in building bridges between generations, through positive programs that actively engage students and honour veterans,” said Mark O’Neill, president and CEO of the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History. “The enduring interest in Operation Veteran is a testament to the respect that Canadians of all ages continue to hold for those who have served their country.”

In addition to bringing students to Ottawa, Operation Veteran also supports Supply Line, an initiative that lends First World War Discovery Boxes to schools across the country. Developed by the Museum, the learning kits contact authentic and reproduced artifacts related to Canadian military history, along with other resources teachers can use to lead hands-on activities and lessons.

Since 2014, Supply Line has had 1,400 loans of the boxes and has become the most successful education program in the Museum’s history.

Click here to learn more about Operation Veteran and the Canadian War Museum.