A high-tech tribute honouring Canada's First World War dead is lighting up six cities in this country and London, U.K. every night this Veterans' Week in an effort to name the fallen "one by one."
The outdoor electronic vigil featuring the names of the tens of thousands of soldiers who died serving the in the "War to End All Wars" is now on display in Trafalgar Square in London, and also in Halifax, Fredericton, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina and Edmonton.
Each name is projected onto a building edifice in large bold font for eight seconds before fading into a list of smaller type names for another 25 seconds.
"Vigile 1914-1918 Vigil" was the brainchild of Gemini award-winning actor R. H. Thomson and lighting designer Martin Conboy. The pair raised money for the tribute with the help of Canada's National History Society.
"When this book of living memory closes and locks forever, it would be good once in our history to actually name the 68,000 people one by one," Thompson told Canada AM on Wednesday.
The hours-long projection also includes the names of 64 women nurses and dozens more merchant men.
The vigil made its international debut in Trafalgar Square on Tuesday evening under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The names were highlighted on the outer wall of Canada House as a lone bugler played "The Last Post" and Canadian school children read aloud several poems, including "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian soldier and poet John McCrae.
After taking in the sights and sounds, The Queen addressed the crowd.
"Long may we all remember the multitude of Canadians, and indeed all of those who laid down their lives to defend the lives of others," the Queen told a crowd gathered at Canada House, before greeting Canadian veterans, including three who have recently returned from Afghanistan.
Buckingham Palace accepted the invitation to attend the vigil within 24 hours of receiving it. The Royal couple's presence gave the tribute the "liftoff" it need, Thompson said.
"The fact that the Queen accepted the invitation and turned up, it suddenly made the event in Trafalgar Square significant."
Jim Wright, Canada's high commissioner to Britain, said the tribute was an emotional experience.
"It was extremely moving watching the names scroll down very slowly ... there was absolute silence," Wright said.
Later that same evening, the tribute began playing on the other side of the Atlantic in Nova Scotia.
The vigil lit up the fa锟絘de of Halifax's oldest church before illuminating government buildings in Fredericton, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina and Edmonton late Tuesday. The display will run in each location from dusk until dawn through Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.
Several of Tom Gillis' extended family members died in the First World War. He told CTV Atlantic he's honoured to see the names of four of his relatives included in the tribute.
"They're all going to be up there this week and I'm going to be here at two in the morning or three in the morning and take pictures of their names," he said.
In Toronto, the names were projected on to the east tower of City Hall, as politicians, soldiers, and civilians honoured those who sacrificed their lives for Canada.
Mayor David Miller told the crowd Canadians can't do enough to honour those who "never returned from fighting those conflicts so we might live in peace and freedom."
Families can also go to the "Vigile 1914-1918 Vigil" website to find out the exact night and time the names of loved ones will appear. The website will also stream the projections nightly.
With files from The Canadian Press
