The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives is hosting an exhibit close to the hearts of veterans and community members alike. On display are rare military-related items and pioneer artifacts including diaries, a Second World War gas mask and a book of memoirs from the late Gordon S. Hopkins, son of the founder of Hopkins Landing.
Donations also include First World War Army, Navy and Air Force uniforms, complete with badges, military insignia, a shirt, tie and hat worn by men who eventually resided in the Gibsons and Roberts Creek areas. An original map of Vimy Ridge carried by Hopkins is also a significant historical item included in the collection. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British campaign known as the Battle of Arras. It is also considered a major event in Canadian history for the primary role Canadian forces played in the attack. On April 2,1917 the Canadian Corps launched the largest artillery barrage in history to that point.
