B.C. museum to commemorate Beaumont-Hamel sacrifice

It's on the other side of the country, but Port Moody Station Museum will be honouring the centennial anniversary of Beaumont-Hamel along with Newfoundland and Labrador.

The museum's plan is to commemorate the entirety of the First World Waras significant anniversaries pass by.

On Thursday evening, there'll be a talk about the Battle of the Somme followed by a candlelight vigil.

That's technically the night before the battle of Beaumont-Hamel but, to be exactly in time with soldiers 100 years later, the British Columbia museum would have to hold its event around 12:15 a.m. PDT.

"Lot's and lots of people don't understand that even for the Second World War,Newfoundland wasn't a part of Canada yet," museumexecutive directorJim Millar, told the St. John's Morning Show.

"The wars are one of the reasons Newfoundland joined Canada, actually."

Millar says five volunteers in the community of 33,000 have chosen battalions to represent during the museum's WW I commemorations. He's chosen to remember the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

"If I wasn't [in Port Moody] I'd try to get to The Rooms for July 1," he said, referring to a day of ceremonies being held at the provincial museum, gallery and archives in St. John's. An exhibit focused onBeaumont-Hamel will be formally opened by Princess Anne.

Millar'smotheris from Norman's Cove on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, while hisgrandfather, who worked as a forester in Scotland, signed up for the war in 1917.

July 1 ceremonies

The Port Moody Station Museum also has events scheduled on July 1.

Like Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have done for years, the day will be split in two, only in reverse order: museum goers will celebrate Canada Day in the morning with activities for the kids and then hold a second tribute to Beaumont-Hamel with a Newfoundland-style kitchen party.