Meet the students keeping Canada's war history alive

A student guide at the Beaumont-Hamel, who's part of a work exchange program organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (CTV News)

Beaumont-Hamel, France — The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is sacred ground for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

The iconic Danger Tree, the preserved trenches that sprawl through the park and its towering caribou monument — standing on top of a three bronze tablets holding the names of 820 Newfoundland and Labrador soldiers buried in unmarked graves — are stark reminders of the dear price the then-small country paid on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

More than 230,000 people visit the park each year, and almost all of them meet one of the Canadian university students who’ve been charged with keeping the history of the First World War alive.

At Beaumont-Hamel, and at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Canadian students work as interpreters — about 16 at any time — part of a work exchange program organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The students are drawn from across the Canada, and many come back for second and third trips.

“It gives our work a lot of meaning to be able to provide a little bit more context and a little bit more explanation to those who want to know their heritage, who want to know what their great grandfather or their great uncle did during the First World War,” said Kevin Wang, originally from Scarborough.

At the Beaumont-Hamel memorial especially, according to interpreter Maxime Martin, descendants of those soldiers from the First World War want to share their family history.

“Having those personal stories, those connections, it's really what it gives you a purpose in this job, right?”

Both Martin and Wang are returning guides, back for a second term at the historic sites. Martin studies history in Sherbrooke, Que., making this something like a dream job.

Wang will be staying in France for a total of eight months until December of this year.

“Something that I thought was I’m very lucky to see the progression of the program,” he said. “I know we’re trying to expand our sites to be more accessible to kids, so that meets our goal of transmitting the message, of paying tribute to students and kids and children for generations to come.”

Jacob Neil, who now helps supervise the student guide program at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, had a very special honour this year.

When Canadian soldiers and dignitaries went to France to bring home an unknown Newfoundland soldier, Neil was asked to sing the Ode to Newfoundland, the province’s and former Dominion’s national anthem, during the repatriation ceremony.

“It was very poignant, very emotional,” he said. “I wanted to be present and appreciate the enormity of what was happening, but also, you know, knowing that my emotions would probably get the better of me if I indulge in that too much.”

Neil, who was born in Newfoundland, worked as a student guide at Beaumont-Hamel before taking the position of program supervisor.

His great-great uncle, Ralph Neil, is one of the 820 that are memorialized at Beaumont-Hamel. Neil said Ralph was a sailor with Newfoundland’s Merchant Navy whose ship was sunk by German troops.

“We can never really, you know, appreciate what happened. Not having been here, not having served, but talking about it that repetitively really ingrained just how impactful what happened here was on the people who lived it, but also the thousands at home who had to hear about it and were affected by it,” he said.

“And I know, as Newfoundlander, it’s something that stuff affects us to this day.