A school assignment transformed into an unexpected deep dive into a family's unbelievable history in the Second World War for one Robert Bateman Secondary School student.
In advance of Remembrance Day, Bateman teacher Claire Apostolopoulos tasked her Grade 9 and 10 Art classes to learn about the significance of the poppy and create several art installations around the school beginning in November to honour the day.
The work was inspired by British artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper, who along with a large team of volunteers, created and placed 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies – each representing a British or Colonial soldier who died in a war, cascading down and around the Tower of London in 2014. The installation attracted over five million visitors and raised millions for charities.
Students went on to create 165 ceramic poppies with clay. The process included hand-building, glazing and firing them. In addition to the ceramic poppies, students also created hundreds of paper poppies, which have take over the waterfall feature and are cascading down in the main entrance.
All staff and students were also invited to share photos and information about family members who are currently serving or are veterans. Their stories are on display near the school's Round Room with the ceramic poppies.
Ava Gill, who was also in Apostolopoulos' art class, and the incredible story of her great-grandfather is one of those stories displayed.
The Grade 9 student learned that her great grandfather Niranjan Singh Garcha enlisted in India to fight alongside the British Empire's Allied forces when he was about 17 years old in 1943. He served in the Burma region and was moved from the front line to the food and ammunition supply area after getting shot in the leg during battle.
Disaster struck later on when a ship that Garcha was on got attacked and all those on the boat died. His family back home was informed of his death and a large funeral was held in his honour.
"His family back home was told the boat he was on exploded and his body was lost," Gill said.
The only problem was that he wasn't actually dead. Garcha was somehow separated from his crew and avoided the attack. He continued fighting alongside the Allies for the remainder of the war and returned home to the shock of his family.
Gill said she was shocked by the news and it was also the first time her mother had told her that news about her grandfather.
"I was speechless," she said. "I couldn't imagine all of this happening – a family member you thought was dead just appearing at home."
She said that she unfortunately never met Garcha, but that he lived a long life. He re-settled in Ontario and she said he died in 2008. Gill said that the discovery has led her to another level of appreciation for those who served.
"My dad is in the RCMP so I would always respect it and understand what people went through, but now that I've learned this story and what my family members went through I feel more of a direct connection," she said. "That must have been insane for younger people to go through so I gained a bunch of whole new perspectives."
Apostolopoulos said she hopes Gill's story and the others displayed at the school help keep the spirit of Remembrance Day alive for future generations.
"Many of us who are Gen X had grandparents that served and our parents were often post Second World War babies," she said. "The stories were first-hand accounts. Now with very few veterans left, students do not see vets of these great wars marching at parades or at school assemblies as we did when we were children. They aren't hearing those accounts so they haven't got the connection. Talking about the contributions of those who currently serve and those who came before us is so important and really honours the legacy of peace that they fought for."
