City Announces First World War Commemorative Program

The City of St. John’s is pleased to announce that Council has approved the framework for its First World War Commemorative Program for 2014-2018.
 
“It is only fitting that we play a major role in activities that are to surround the First World War commemorations,” said Mayor Dennis O’Keefe. “The City of St. John’s was the main staging and training area for our province’s troops and many historic events occurred here before as part of the war effort.”
 
The program will have three key components: a legacy project, a grants program and an opportunity for City departments to offer existing programs and services around a First World War theme.
 
“We have allocated $800,000 towards the construction of a First World War legacy edifice,” explained the Mayor. “The Office of Strategy and Engagement will engage the public in bringing forward suggestions with a targeted completion date of July 1, 2016.”
 
The City has also approved a Commemorative Grants Program, to provide grants to community groups and organizations seeking financial and/or in-kind support for their events. A total of $200,000 ($50,000 per year) will be allocated to the program. Staff will establish specific criteria respecting the types of activities and the extent of the grants; the grant criteria will be available within the next two weeks, subject to Council approval, and a call for grant applications from interested parties will be issued by mid-August. Grant applications may be made for either of the four years of the program but must be made by the closing application date in September, 2014.
 
Finally, City departments will be encouraged to offer existing programs and services with a First World War theme. “For example,” said the Mayor, “Music at Harbourside this summer includes a First World War Commemorative concert on August 22. We’d like to see more of this over the next four years from within the City.”
 
Detailed plans are currently being developed and will be released to the public as soon as they become available.
 
Media Contact:
Susan Bonnell
Manager, Marketing and Communications
City of St. John's
Phone: 709-576-3906
Cell: 709-690-9285
E-mail: sbonnell@stjohns.ca