Lidar In Mapping: Preserving British Columbia’s Military Heritage for Future Generations
As we move further into the 21st century, the duty of the British Columbia Veterans Commemorative Association to "ensure the contributions of Canada’s armed service men and women are never forgotten" faces a new challenge: time. Weathering and urban development threaten the physical landmarks of our military history, from aging cenotaphs to remote historic armories. However, a revolutionary technology—Lidar In Mapping—is providing veterans and historians with a powerful new tool to protect these sacred sites.
Digitizing the Torch of Remembrance Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) works by firing rapid laser pulses to create a precise 3D map of an object or landscape. In the context of BC’s veteran history, Lidar In Mapping allows us to create "digital twins" of our provincial monuments. Should a historical site be damaged by the elements, these Lidar maps provide a millimeter-perfect blueprint for restoration, ensuring that the torch passed to us is never truly extinguished.
Revealing Forgotten Sites British Columbia’s rugged terrain often hides the footprints of past military training camps and coastal defense batteries. The precision of Lidar In Mapping can "see through" dense forest canopies to reveal hidden structures and earthworks that are invisible to the naked eye. This technology helps researchers document forgotten sites of service, adding new chapters to our provincial military record and providing families with more information about where their loved ones served at home.
An Interactive Learning Activity for Youth One of our core goals is engaging the community and school children in experiential learning. By using the data from Lidar In Mapping, we can create virtual reality tours of BC’s military heritage sites. This allows students in remote parts of the province to "walk" through a historic armory or stand before a distant cenotaph, making our history accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical location.
As we look toward the future, embracing modern technology is not just about innovation—it’s about duty. By utilizing Lidar In Mapping, we ensure that the sacrifices made by ordinary Canadians for our extraordinary freedom are documented with the greatest integrity for years to come.