Belgian tourism company opens in Halifax to attract Canadians to WW I sites

An office for a Belgian tourism company has opened its doors in Halifax, to entice more Canadians to visit the battlefields of the First World War and the site of the iconic In Flanders Fields poem.

Visit Flanders, a tourism agency in Belgium, has decided to open an office in Halifax,its first in Canada.

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Consulting firmGroup ATNwon the contract to do media relations for the Belgian tourist company, to boost promotions for Canadians to make the trek to Europe for the centennial of the First World War.

Corinne MacLellan, with Group ATN, says Belgium sites are "special to Canadians" who want to remember fallen Canadian soldiers.

It really gets in your heart and in your mindlike walking on sacred ground.- Corinne MacLellan

"I think it's a combination of people who are interested in history in general, and people who are looking for relatives. There are 30,000 Canadians buried there, so you can make that connection," she said.

"Since I've started to do my own research on this, I'm finding so many of my own relatives who have had connections. My grandmother had several uncles who went to war, some who didn't return, and so it's amazing the treasure trove of your own history you can find, just as a Canadian."

'Really gets in your heart'

The centenary period runs from about 2014 to 2018, MacLellan said, and "there are a number of centennial events that Canadians want to mark."

An example of that is Canadians seeking to visit the Menin Gate, a Belgian memorial in Ypres dedicated to soldiers who were killed in the First World War and whose graves are unknown, where a memorial service is held every single day.

"It really gets in your heart and in your mind, because you really think when you're there. It's really like walking on sacred ground," said MacLellan.

It's amazing the treasure trove of your own history you can find, just as a Canadian.- Corinne MacLellan

According to MacLellan, a particularly poignant experience for Canadians will be visiting the actual Flanders Field features in the fame John McCrae poem.

"If you're standing at Essex Farm Essex Farm is where John McCrae wrote the famous poem In Flanders Fields, where the medical unit was set up. It is not as well groomedit's a very lovely dedication, there's a wonderful monument there I think they've purposefully left the field sort of free," said MacLellan.

"It's not overly manicured, it's a really, really beautiful and spiritual place to go, poppies in full bloom, a full field of poppies It really is a very, almost imposing feeling, like you can't get away from it when you're standing there."

Tours operate year-round, MacLellan said, because of the uptake of Canadians visiting to mark the centenary.

She said there's an "unbelievable exhibition" currently on at the Flanders Field museum dedicated to the Canadian soldiers.

"There's really interesting stories and people that we can read about, and these are our fellow Canadians, which is really special."