For nearly ten years, Jayne Turvey has given students in the Orillia-area from elementary to high school an opportunity to learn about the wars in which Canada has been involved and about the men and women, in particular those locally, who have served.
About 850 students were registered to attend the displays at the Orillia Public Library this week.
For Turvey, it's critical that people of all ages learn about the role Canada has played in various conflicts.
"I ask the public, children and youth to remember, but if you have nothing to remember, then how do you do that? This exhibit is to give them something with local people and local information that they can take home with them and hopefully think about on Remembrance Day."
Turvey likes to change the exhibits each year.
"I work with a few military collectors and museums, so this year we're focusing on the anniversaries of the Korean War and the 75 years of peacekeeping, and we always have World War 1 and 2."
Turvey has also made the event more interactive.
Each student that came to the library to see the exhibits was given their own soldiers playbook and they had to walk around to find the answers to various questions.
The library windows were decorated with over 100 poster boards with people who have served in the South African War before 1900 right up to Afghanistan in the 2000s. There are also window displays honouring people who stayed at home and supported the armed forces.
Turvey says there are stories which were shared that even have a connection to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"There was one soldier that Conn Smythe from the Toronto Maple Leafs was hoping to get but he was so broken from being in World War 1 and shell-shocked that he never played hockey again."
The work Turvey puts into the displays is also a personal journey.
"My father was captured in the Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942 and he was a prisoner of war for three years. I helped him write a book called "Destined to Survive" and that is how I learned the story firsthand from someone who was there. I started researching every man who was in his regiment, the Royal Regiment of Canada out of Toronto, and there are a lot of people from central Ontario that fought with that regiment for all those years."
Turvey has painstakingly searched for a photo and bio of every soldier that land at Blue Beach in the Dieppe Raid.
"One of the cool things that's happened through this is that I have been able to locate family members and I have been able to answer their questions about what their fathers or grandfathers went through. I have been able to match people up if their fathers were best friends and to take the descendants and introduce them to each other.
In 2019, Turvey received provincial recognition for her library exhibits when she received the Angus Mowat Award of Excellence.
It has been a journey with no regrets.
"I feel accomplished that I've sort of helped people understand and remember, which is what we all set out to do, so these men and women are never forgotten."
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