With the centenary of Vimy Ridge and the First World War, a small museum held an event commemorating those who served. The event was held at the accredited non-profit Manitoba World War I Museum outside La Riviere last Sunday.

Visitors could see how men and women in WWI served, following the training, sleeping arrangements, and trench warfare of the soldiers.

"We have tents, we have a trench headquarters," says museum Director Bruce Tascona. "We also have a system of trenches, hence the term 'A Day In The Trenches'. I've invited a group of living history presenters, some from as far as New Brunswick, here to help with the program."

All presenters, along with Tascona, wore replica uniforms of the 27th City of Winnipeg Battalion.

Made almost completely of wool, it showed how uncomfortable the soldiers would have been during hot summer days.

The museum features a collection of WWI memorabilia including uniforms, equipment used by Canadian soldiers, and an exhibit called 'The Paper War', with sheet music, letters to home and diaries from Manitoba and across the sea.

Tascona has been collecting military memorabilia for almost 50 years, saying he's never got out of that 'army men in the sandbox' stage.

Working in museums in Winnipeg for many years, Tascona wanted to create his own museum that would show the lives of Manitobans during WWI.

The fourth year of the event, this year included a collection of WWI German weaponry from a private collector, a bayonet fighting demonstration, and a reenactment of the 'Mad Minute'.

British and Canadian soldiers were trained to fire 15 rounds a minute from their Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifles. The German army swore every British soldier must have been armed with a machine gun.

Tascona says the history of Manitoba, and those who served, is important and hopes every person who comes can gain an appreciation of the sacrifices. The event was visited by nearly 400 people last year.

"This isn't a story of Paris, Berlin, London. This is a story of Pilot Mound, Manitou, Crystal City, and Darlingford. All those communities in the valley who were there and lost someone. Is it important? It's the centenary of the First World War, that's what it means to me, to commemorate what Manitobans did."