Barrie, Ontario
Mr. Lovell has been teaching history and politics at Barrie's Eastview Secondary School for more than 20 years. He is passionate about teaching Canadian History and Canada's military contribution during the First and Second World Wars. In 2005, the Year of the Veteran, Mr. Lovell brought his students to the local cenotaph in Barrie and asked each to choose a name of a soldier engraved on the monument. The students then extensively researched each soldier. Under Mr. Lovell=s guidance the project was a huge success and expanded with subsequent classes participating. The project then evolved with the publication of a book entitled, "The Boys of Barrie," which features biographies and photos of 63 soldiers from the Barrie area. A poster featuring the "Boys from Barrie" followed. The Veterans Affairs Canada website has a link to this project and the book. The project was an inspiration to other schools and garnered media attention. During the 2009 Veterans' Week, Mr. Lovell and 25 students visited residents at Sunnybrook Hospital and presented their You Tube Video and delivered a presentation to Veterans on their "Boys of Barrie" project. Mr. Lovell and his students travelled to the Netherlands this past year and joined 7,600 Canadian youth for the 65th Anniversary of Victory in Europe.