Preserving our Veterans Legacy
The Pontiac at War project was created to honour the men and women of the Pontiac who served during the Great War and beyond. At its heart, the project seeks to safeguard the region’s wartime history and ensure it remains accessible to everyone. Through this initiative, the stories of courage, sacrifice, and resilience that once filled the pages of The Equity are being brought back to life, connecting past generations with the present.
This project represents a shared commitment to remembrance and education. By drawing from historical sources preserved by the Pontiac Archives and local contributors, Pontiac at War invites residents and visitors alike to discover how global events shaped life in small communities. It aims to foster reflection, understanding, and appreciation for the people whose efforts defined an era.
Beyond preservation, Pontiac at War serves as a bridge between languages, cultures, and generations. It brings together English- and French-speaking communities through a common story—one rooted in the Pontiac’s contribution to world history. The project celebrates unity in diversity, showing how remembrance can inspire dialogue and shared pride across the region.
Ultimately, this is about ensuring that the voices of the past are not lost to time. The Pontiac at War project transforms historical memory into a living, evolving record that belongs to everyone. It is a testament to the power of storytelling, the importance of preservation, and the enduring legacy of those who served and sacrificed for their community and country.
Dive into the Archives!
We’ve organized our content into “seasons,” each representing a year of the Great War. Click any of the buttons below to explore what life was like for the English and French residents of the Pontiac—both at home and overseas. You’ll find summaries from each year’s issues of The Equity, along with an AI-generated podcast that brings the stories to life.
1919
(Post War)
Do you have material to contribute?
We are in search of photos or items from locals who served in the First World War. If you have material you would like to provide, please email jon@pontiacarchives.org.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
With 230 issues of The Equity as our primary sources, there were more than 3,000 pages of content to catalog and identify key items that shaped this project.
With the help of modern technology, we’ve used Artificial Intelligence to review each issue, provide lists of residents who served in the Great War, and write initial drafts for each of our “seasons” we explore in this project.
We’ve also made use of AI to generate audio summaries of each “Season.” These summaries feature two participants who discuss what was in each issue of The Equity, and are a great starting point if you’re curious about the material.
Sources & Credits
The majority of the content within this section of our website comes from the pages of The Equity, the local newspaper based in the Pontiac that has been publishing since 1883.
Many of the photos and videos in the Pontiac at War section are in the public domain, and were made available by:
- Library and Archives Canada
- Canadian War Museum
