TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2014 — York University professors and graduate students in the Department of History will join staff at the City of Toronto Museum & Heritage Services to provide insight into the stories behind First World War memorabilia and heirlooms during a series of pop-up style museums across the city, Sept. 20 to Nov. 28.

“Torontonians are encouraged to bring their heirlooms and keepsakes, as well as their family stories related to the war, to any of the 11 locations  across the city,” says Professor Craig Heron, the History Department's public history coordinator. “Our historians will help to gather their stories and digitally record their artifacts. They will also answer questions and provide insights about the items.”

To reflect Toronto’s rich and diverse community, residents are also encouraged to share international experiences and items with the historians and museum staff. The information collected will be included in a special section of the Canadian Encyclopedia website — creating a legacy for generations to come, according to the organizers.

The series, Toronto’s Great War Attic, is organized by the City of Toronto Museum & Heritage Services, in partnership with Historica Canada, York University and the Multicultural History Society of Ontario, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

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 Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 647 463 4354 / 416 736 2100  ext 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca