The “Friends of Veterans Canada” charity was established on April 1, 2008 under the Museums and Libraries portion of the act. Our charity has the mandate of video taping every living Canadian veteran that is willing to tell their story. We are building a library of our veteran’s stories to pass on to future generations. Our motto is “Video-A-Veteran Today for the Youth of Tomorrow”

My name is Randy Young of London Ontario, President of the “Friends of Veterans Canada”. My family has been involved in the Canadian forces for generations with my uncle Keith retiring a few years ago and losing two great uncles in the Great War. My Great Grandfather Charles Vanember Young of Brantford also served honorably in WW1 as a stretcher barrier.

Our great grandfather’s cousin, John Francis Young (pictured left) was awarded the Victory Cross for valour on the battle of the Drocourt-Queant Line September 2.1918. This Video gathering tour for the “Harry Watts Veterans Video Library” is my way of contributing towards preserving the memory of these and all other Canadian veterans.

We are on a mission to bring video awareness to our Canadian Veterans and the history that they have lived. I will be touring Canada stopping at schools, legions and other service clubs. We will be talking to the media across Canada about the “National Video-A-Veteran Contest” and the “Harry Watts Veterans Video Library”. The videos will be made available in 2 minute clips on our site as soon as the judging of the contest entries is complete each of the five years of this project. The DVD library of the interviews will be available to school libraries for free. The history buffs across Canada can purchase one or several of the DVD’s on a cost basis when complete. Our charities web page, fovcanada.ca hopes to have the veterans’ testimonials up and running starting in 2010.

We are asking teachers and students to get involved in this effort. The “Friends of Veterans Canada” is a registered charity with a mandate to educate and bring awareness to the young people of Canada through the “Harry Watts Veterans Video Library”. We are holding the “National Video-A-Veteran Contest”. This uniquely Canadian contest is open to Canadian students from grade 5 to grade 12. The student’s entry must include two potions of video. We require a two minute version of the veteran’s story as a vignette, Made with music and pictures of the veteran’s life in the background. We are hoping that the students be creative in their presentations. The students will be required to send in the entire uncut portion of their time with the veteran subject in order to enter the contest. The prize for the contest will go to the veteran subject chosen from the two minute video portion of the entry. The 20 winning veterans from across Canada will be taken to Holland for the “Thank You Canada” celebrations in 2010. The students will learn about a Canadian veteran and maybe make a new history friend.

The “National Video-A-Veteran Contest will begin during “Remembrance Week” and this year’s video entries must be in by December 4, 2009. This contest is a five year project for our charity. Your efforts to help us save the memories of our solders that will be remembered for decades to come and will be a fitting memorial to all of our great Canadian solders who have made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada. There is not another Country in the world that is showing their respect for their veteran’s in this way. We are Canadians creating the “Harry Watts Veterans Video Library” for Canadians.

Friends of Veterans Canada

c/o Randy Young President

519 679-8190