What is Project Heroes?

Project Heroes® is a non-profit initiative that celebrates the lives of the Canadian soldiers who died in Afghanistan.

• A travelling exhibit that gives insight to the many lives touched by war; the soldiers, their families, the wounded in body and spirit, and the Afghan people.
• The human aspect of this war is presented in context with Canada’s role in the global conflicts and peacekeeping of the past 100 years leading up to the war in Afghanistan.
• This exhibition is a being done in cooperation with the soldiers’ families. It is a work in progress with portraits and stories being completed as families continue to come forward.

Celebrating their lives and telling the bigger picture

The exhibit tells the stories of the people behind the uniforms through:

• Oil portraits, lively with personality and spirit, painted from family photos.
• Each soldier’s personal story in print beside his or her portrait and an extended story with photos, videos, letters and poetry of the soldiers on the website.
• A big screen TV with soldiers’ photos showing what life was like for them on the base, while on patrol and working with the Afghan people.
• Several mural sized paintings represent the issue of suicide and PTSD, the families of soldiers, the wounded in body and spirit, and serving soldiers and veterans.

To help put it all in context several educational panels will:

• Present Canada’s involvement in conflict over the past 100 years leading up to the Afghanistan war.
• Answer the question of what is a Canadian soldier, what compels them to put their own lives on the line for the sake of others.

A tall maple tree with a yellow ribbon serves as a symbol of hope, homecoming and remembrance.

What will happen to the exhibit after the tour?

• Project Heroes® hopes to donate the exhibit to an appropriate facility so it can continue to tour, in whole or in part, to allow the next generation to learn from the exhibit.
• School children will benefit by having access to the soldiers’ stories on line for social studies, history and Remembrance Day activities.

Do families get a copy of the portrait?

Yes. Project Heroes® will provide the spouses and parents with a free print of their soldier’s portrait.