The "Sarnia War Fallen: Where They Called Home" project is expanding this year to include a sign for every fallen soldier from Sarnia.
In 2024, 250 signs were placed on the boulevards of the addresses where fallen soldiers from Sarnia once lived for 12 days in November.
Committee Member Doug Woods said the initial group of war fallen were easy to identify based on the names included on the cenotaph behind Sarnia Library.
But, as Tom St. Amand and Tom Slater continued their research, Woods said they found more Sarnia residents that were not included on the cenotaph.
"We have over 300 signs now of war fallen from Sarnia," Woods said. "I think it's more impactful than we ever imagined. The community has accepted the project with open arms and sad tears and the house owners are fascinated by the stories of these young men that had lived in the houses that they now occupy."
While the majority of the signs will be placed in front of homes, about 130 signs for individuals the committee couldn't find addresses for will be placed at Centennial Park, as was done in 2024.
"It was really gratifying to see the people quietly walking through the displays there, like they were at a cemetery in Europe," Woods said.
The soldiers honoured lost their lives while serving in the Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the War in Afghanistan, and In the Service of Canada.
Woods said the project is tying the community together.
"We had a couple that had known a man down the street with the last name Allan, but they didn't realize they were living in his great uncle's house. [Arthur and James Allan] had both volunteered for the First World War, but unfortunately [the brothers] did not come back. So, [the neighbours] met and got to know each other much better because we put those signs in front of their house," Woods said.
Volunteers will fan out across the city on November 1 to place the signs, and again on November 12 to collect them.
Each sign includes a painted image of the "Tommy" soldier that stands atop the Sarnia Cenotaph at Veterans Park. It also includes the name of the soldier, the war in which he served, when he died and where he is buried or the memorial on which his name is inscribed.
A QR code is also included, providing easy access to an extensive biography on each fallen soldier, a digital map of Sarnia detailing where each soldier lived, and a brief video of some of Sarnia’s war heroes who lost their lives serving our country.
