‘Refreshed’ look at Beaumont

‘Refreshed’ look at Beaumont-Hamel visitor’s centre showcases ‘human experience'

New exhibit to be installed by March 28, says Veterans Affairs Canada

A battlefield in northern France with deep ties to Newfoundland and Labrador offers a peak into the past, but it’s set to get a brand new look within the next two years.

The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial visitor's centre opened in 2001, guiding people through the story of the province, from the leadup into the First World War, the conflict’s impacts and its aftermath, told through artifacts and installations.

“The current exhibit is over 25 years old. It's a great exhibit,” said Ocel Dauphinais-Matheson, a program manager with the Veterans Affairs Canada commemoration division.

“It really does a good job of conveying the key messages and telling the story of Newfoundland and Labrador during the war. But the new exhibit is an opportunity to refresh the exhibit.”

Dauphinais-Matheson said the plan is to share new and diverse stories about the “human experience” of the war and enhance visitor experience, he said, many of whom are international travellers.

Last year, approximately 200,000 people visited the memorial.

Dauphinais-Matheson said they’re currently at the planning stage to determine the themes they want the new exhibit to convey, which includes discussions with contractors, research and speaking with Newfoundland and Labrador residents about what they think the new design should include.

“We really want to make sure that we hear the voices of folks in Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said. “Recently we were in Newfoundland and Labrador, several locations meeting with the collaborators, stakeholders, Indigenous communities to gather their input.”

Dauphinais-Matheson said the plan is for the exhibit to be installed by March 2028, adding the number of visitors to the memorial is at its lowest in a new year and the centre is closed in January.

The funding for the project is about $1.45 million, which he called a "healthy budget" for a exhibit of its size.

“We're really looking forward to this and putting out a new refreshed exhibit that will draw people in and engage them in the story, this important story that is Newfoundland and Labrador during the First World War, and of course, the events at Beaumont-Hamel," said Dauphinais-Matheson.

Heidi Coombs — who has a PhD specializing in Newfoundland's medical history and sits on the advisory committee that is providing input to Veterans Affairs Canada — hopes the new exhibit will tell the lesser known stories about the war, like the experience of Indigenous soldiers and Francophone Newfoundlanders.

“There's not one history of Newfoundland and Labrador in the First World War. There are so many diverse experiences,” she said.

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While the war resulted in a significant loss in life, Coombs said she’d like to see the stories of those who survived were forever changed, as well as the stories of women and their families.

“I think it's going to be a very rich experience with the renewal. There's going to be a lot more voices included and represented,” she said.

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Elizabeth Whitten is a journalist with CBC News, based in St. John's.