Background Information 

• For the past five years, the Grade 7 students of St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School have created posters as a tribute to Canada’s fallen soldiers in Afghanistan. June of 2010 marked a special occasion for these students. Carol Mitchell, from Owen Sound, Ontario, journeyed to Oakville to personally thank the students for their hard work and specifically, for the poster created in honour of her son, Corporal Robert James Mitchell, who was killed in Afghanistan.
• The students at St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School also came to know Private Paul Parkin while he was in hospital awaiting a transfer to an Oakville nursing home. The students supported Mr. Parkin and his family with letters to the Toronto Sun and with posters and letters for his hospital room that wished him well and thanked him for his service to our country. The students' letters and prayers were answered when a nursing home spot became available for Mr. Parkin. Sadly, he passed away a few weeks later. Mr. Parkin’s son, Doug, has continued to support the school community by sharing artifacts and pictures of his father’s war time service, bringing history to life.
• Through Mr. Parkin’s visits and Mrs. Mitchell’s inspiring message of hope and courage in the face of great loss, the students deepened their appreciation for veterans and their families and were inspired to make a greater difference in their local community.
• Recognizing the need to further honour our veterans and their families, the students made a presentation to their local Town of Oakville Councillor, Ralph Robinson. Since Bronte Road in Oakville is designated as Halton Region’s Veterans’ Highway, the students sought to create greater awareness of this special designation to the public by designing various improvements to the highway. The students drafted designs, wrote proposals and articulated a rationale for their proposed improvements.
• Through the support of the Town of Oakville, which provided the site, preparation and landscape design, and the generous donations of Medi-Chair; Prefer Electric Inc.; Branch #486 Bronte and Branch #114 Oakville - Royal Canadian Legion; Halton Elementary Unit – Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association; and St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School, this vision of the students’ work has become a reality.