St. John's storytellers searching for untold WW I stories from Newfoundland and Labrador

A group of gifted gabbers has been combing Newfoundland and Labrador to collect stories that capture experiences from the First World War in an effort to turn them into an audio and visual series.

Karen Carroll, president of the non-profit arts organization St. John's Storytelling, says the group plans to archive these stories in the form of oral history. 

The plans are also ambitious enough to include a podcast and a television series, all aimed at bringing local history to life.

"We're looking for any stories around the World War I era related to Newfoundland and Labrador," said Carroll.

She says these could be stories passed down through families — what people did, or how they learned about what was happening around the world.

"If we don't soon get those stories, a lot of them will be lost to time, and many of them have already been, unfortunately," said Carroll.

The project has been running for months, with members of St. John's Storytelling traveling across Newfoundland and Labrador as they listened to people recount their personal or family stories of the war. 

The organization has been working with the Royal Canadian Legion, Memorial University and Rogers as they prepare to begin their production work.

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Carroll says provincial Year of the Arts funding has been instrumental in bringing their project to life.

"It's allowed us to give priority to oral history, which is something we're really passionate about," she said.

The stories range from soldiers' experiences overseas to life back home in Newfoundland and Labrador during the war years.

Carroll says the initiative gives special priority to residents who can share oral histories.

This summer, Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed the remains of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War and laid him to rest at the National War Memorial, in downtown St. John's. 

Carroll says stories like the Unknown Soldier makes an opportunity for her organization to collect pieces of history from the community.

"Lots of these stories are written down or they're, you know, in archives, all kinds of different places," she said.

"But as you know, a story that is told orally [is a] very different thing."

She notes that most stories from the First World War can feel distant which makes it challenging for many to grasp the personal experiences of those involved.

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Carroll says when people hear someone speak about what their grandfather or grandmother experienced, it suddenly becomes real again, which is what this project by St. John's Storytelling is aiming for.

As St. John's Storytelling prepares to wrap up this phase of their work, the clock is ticking for anyone who has a story to share. 

The deadline for submissions to be included in their podcast or television series is from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.

The project's producer will create a series based on the collected stories. The goal is to ensure that these stories, many of which may have never been shared publicly before, reach as wide an audience as possible.

"This is such an important part of our history," said Carroll. 

"These stories are personal and intimate.... They speak to a side of the war that people outside Newfoundland and Labrador may not know about."

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