Dr. Geoffrey Bird (Royal Roads University) – The Power of Place and the Future of Memory

"Sometimes that quietness of a place is what makes it so profound."This week, we speak with Dr. Geoffrey Bird, lead of the War Heritage Research Initiative at Royal Roads University. Dr. Bird discusses the transition of remembrance into an activity of learning, the unique resonance found only by standing on historical ground, and how we must ethically navigate the heritage dissonance that technology can bring to sacred memorial sites.In this episode:- Explore the power of place and why standing on the actual undulations of a battlefield allows visitors to connect with the past in a way that documents and documentaries alone cannot achieve- Navigate the ethics of technology in commemoration, specifically the risk of heritage dissonance where digital noise or simulations might interfere with the profound, meaningful silence of a cemetery- Discover the Story Pole project, a film highlighting the experiences of Indigenous veterans and the universal values of justice, peace, and truth anchored in our national monuments