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Courage Counts!

Bonfire Jr.

Bonfire Jr. trots over to the post office. In the large entrance hall, he finds the glass case with the postcards that he saw before. When he looks at the cards closely, Bonfire Jr. sees that many of the postcards were sent in the same months of 1918. A sign explains that the postcards were written during a time called "The Last 100 Days of the First World War."

From August 8, 1918 until November 11, 1918, Canadian soldiers were in a number of battles beginning in a French town called Amiens and ending in Mons, Belgium. The Canadian soldiers were active until the last few minutes on the last day of the war. Sadly, one Canadian soldier was killed just two minutes before the war ended.

Postcard written by Private George Edward Savage to his wife Alice Ada Savage.
Photo: Oakville at War - Postcards

Bonfire Jr. reads about the Canadian soldiers' bravery in the First World War from 1914 to 1918. Then he looks at each of the postcards in the display. The soldiers' words on the back of the cards have faded, but Bonfire Jr. can tell from the messages to their families that the soldiers were cheerful and full of hope during those 100 days. They had risked a lot for what they believed in … peace, truth, freedom, justice and knowledge. Soon they would be going home!

Bonfire Jr. is a very smart horse. He is particularly good at counting. He throws back his head and begins to tap 100 times on the post off ice floor in honour of the brave Canadians in the First World War. The people in the post office stop to watch and listen. They seem to understand that Bonfire Jr.'s count is a special one. He is standing so proudly. Counting to 100 never felt so important!

Gandy Rides Back in Time
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