Opera on the Avalon plants flowers to honour WW I dead

Opera on the Avalon has covered the grounds at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John's with 1,500 forget-me-nots to honour lives lived and lost during the First World War.

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"All these flowers here symbolize a life," Opera on the Avalon's artisticdirectorCheryl Hickman said.

"A life that was lost in the First World War. It's over 1,500 flowers that will be planted during the month of June and each one of them a soul that we are honouring."

The art instillation is part of the Memorial Garden: Garden of Tears a month long event leading up to Opera on the Avalon's debut of Ours, a two-actopera by John Estacio and Robert Chafe.

On Monday night a number of war veterans from across the province took part in the planting celebration.

Among them, 101-year-old World War Twovet, Goward Heath, who toldCBCit was a nice event to take part in.

"It's an honour to have them join us," Hickman said.

"When you see them there with all their medals you realize really what we are paying tribute to and what we are thanking them for. The sacrifice is enormous.'