Valour Canada is inviting the public to visit its artifact handling tent this weekend —something normally reserved for students. The non-profit organization has partnered with the Field of Crosses for the last four years to host Classroom at the Crosses, a free, half-day educational program for students and youth. “They get to handle these items, these artifacts, that they’ve learned about in books or seen on videos,” said John Adams, Valour Canada president. “They get to actually feel them and learn about them from our veterans.” Adams says close to 2,500 students tour the tent annually at the beginning of November, leading up to Remembrance Day. He says many of those students said they’d like to share the experience with their families. “So we thought it over, and we thought, yeah, let’s open up the tent,” Adams said. “We want to invite Calgarians and their families to come down to the Field of Crosses on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and on Remembrance Day as well — where we’re going to have our artifact handling tent open to the public,” he said. Adams says volunteers make the experience possible, many of whom are veterans. “They are the linchpin that makes that connection between student and the artifact, and they share their stories because they’re the ones that actually used these items – or at least know the history about these items.” Scott Hausberg, Naval Museum of Alberta Society president, says he has enjoyed teaching the students for the past three years. “Teaching the kids through the hands on, tactile experience of touching different uniforms and artifacts … It’s just so fun,” he said. “We see kids from Grade 3 up to Grade 10, 11 and 12, and they all have a different experience; it’s very rewarding.” Gerry Walker is a veteran who served with the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. “I’m a military historian buff,” he said. “So, I just relish in telling (the students) details about the military they will never hear anywhere else.” Walker says one of the highlights for this year’ visiting students is uniforms they get to try on from the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, Alta. “They’ve been an overwhelming success,” he said. “The idea that women can serve, and we stress that in some of our (all-girl groups we see), especially the Girl Guide tours that we conduct.” Adams says the admission to the tent is free, but there is a way for visitors to donate too.
