The City of Guelph is planning a big celebration to honor Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, the man behind the Remembrance Day poem “In Flanders Field”.

McCrae, who was born 150 years ago, grew up in Guelph in what is now known as “The McCrae House”.

The museum is one of many places honoring the life and work of the author.

His famous poem continues to resonate with people more than 100 years after McCrae wrote it in the trenches of Ypres, Belgium in 1915.

“It uses fairly simple wording to express a complex set of ideas,” says museum curator Dawn Owen.

McCrae was also known as an artist.

The Guelph Civic Museum presents an exhibit called “Witnessing War” which features drawings by McCrae.

A painting of John McCrae by James Charles Burge hangs inside the War Witness exhibit at the Guelph Civic Museum. (Krista Sharpe/CTV Kitchener)

“That’s really what he was doing, witnessing the world around him, witnessing the experiences he was having and creatively translating them,” Owen said.

McCrae served in both the South African War and World War I before dying in 1918.

“Most of the drawings are quite small,” Owen added. “He carried sketchbooks with him because they had to be portable, they had to fit in a pocket and not get in the way of other military equipment.”

Other artists from Guelph, or those with ties to the Royal City, are also featured in the exhibit.

PLANTING POPPIES

Guelph plans to plant poppies to mark the 150th anniversary of McCrae’s birth.

“We’re looking to plant 150 poppies across the city,” said Val Harrison, visitor experience supervisor for Guelph Museums.

The red flowers will be placed in 25 public locations and are expected to bloom in early July. The City of Guelph horticultural team grew the flowers in a local greenhouse.

“There will be hashtags and QR codes so you can find more information,” says Harrison.

Guelph’s museums also invite the public to take a trip abroad.

“It’s a tour of France, Belgium and the Netherlands,” Harrison said. “We will explore the history of McCrae and the Second World War, and his connection to Guelph.”

More information about visiting and upcoming events can be found on the Guelph Museums website.