The Lambton Heritage Museum is inviting you to experience the First World War through the eyes of a Canadian soldier.
The Grand Bend site is hosting a reenactment event on Saturday September 9, put on by the Dominion of Canada Reenactment Corps.
Museum Marketing and Events Coordinator Jessica Stevenson said the historical First World War reenactment group will give visitors some hands-on experience.
"They're going to have some stations set up outside to show different training drills, some different equipment, and possibly run some mock battle simulation drills," said Stevenson. "And then our curator supervisor of the museum, Dana Throne, is going to give a presentation on the history of the 149th Battalion [at 1 p.m.], which is a battalion that was raised here in Lambton County with local men."
Stevenson said the museum is always looking for new ways to bring history to visitors and create experiences for them.
"So, this is an event where it's a chance to put yourself in the shoes of an enlisted member of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)," she said. "And see what they would've wore, the equipment they would've used, some of the training that they would've undergone in preparation for going to the western front."
Stevenson said visitors will start by filling out their own attestation paper, the form they would've used to enlist in the CEF back in 1914. She said they'll then work their way through several stations which will be a mixture of informational and practice drills.
"So, our stations include the riffles that Canadians used during the war, some bayonet training, the progression of gas masks and gas warfare, and a station for bomber training, which is grenade throwing," she said.
Stevenson added that there's also going to be a mock Vickers machine gun to demonstrate how the gun sounded and how many people would've been needed to operate a machine like that.
"We also really want to connect the local history to the men who enlisted here from Lambton County," she said. "And encourage our visitors to kind of consider that these men who lived here and came from ordinary lives might have experienced something similar when they went off for training on their own."
Stevenson said visitors are invited to drop-in for the event, which goes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children, and free for kids aged three and under.
Stevenson said it will feature weapons, simulated gun fire and discussion of battle, so it may not be suitable for all ages.
- With files from Natalia Vega