Library and Archives Canada and National Capital Commission Plant Trees to Honour Memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force Battalions

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 24, 2015) - Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada (LAC), in partnership with the National Capital Commission (NCC), is planting 130 trees in the Capital's Vincent Massey Park as part of a commemoration marking the digitization of the military service files of those who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War.

This project began as a LAC employee engagement activity and evolved into a public event to honour the CEF Battalions of the First World War. As a result, LAC is collaborating with the National Capital Commission, the City of Gatineau, and the City of Ottawa to plant 260 trees in Canada's Capital Region by the end of 2015.

In June 2015, LAC employees planted 130 trees at Lac Beauchamp in Gatineau. An additional commemorative tree was planted at LAC's Collection Storage Facility in Gatineau as a symbolic reminder of the CEF and the collective effort of LAC staff to make their service records accessible.

The NCC agreed to collaborate in this initiative by allowing LAC to plant the remaining 130 trees, provided by the City of Ottawa, in Vincent Massey Park. This morning, Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada and Dr. Mark Kristmanson, Chief Executive Officer of the National Capital Commission will take part in the tree planting alongside some 25 LAC employees who are volunteering their time.

Quick Facts

• Approximately 640,000 military service files of the CEF are in the process of being digitized by LAC. Work is expected to be completed by 2018, in line with the commemoration period for the First World War.
• A commemorative tree was planted at LAC's Collection Storage Facility in Gatineau, Quebec where the original CEF files will be stored once they are digitized.

Quotes

"Library and Archives Canada is proud to commemorate the Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in this way. LAC employees have demonstrated their passion for their work and their desire to reach out to the community through this initiative which will ensure that the CEF soldiers will be long-remembered for the sacrifices they made."

Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada-Library and Archives Canada

"The National Capital Commission is pleased to work with Library and Archives Canada to plant trees in Vincent Massey Park, one of our most popular urban parks, in honour of the CEF Battalions of the First World War. This donation is a beautiful way of remembering an important Canadian story."

Dr. Mark Kristmanson, Chief Executive Officer - National Capital Commission

Associated Links

www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng

About Library and Archives Canada

The mandate of Library and Archives Canada is to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations, and to be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, thereby contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada. Library and Archives Canada also facilitates co-operation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge, and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions. Stay connected with Library and Archives Canada on Twitter (@LibraryArchives), Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.