n the heart of Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, Al Simm turns pieces of recycled metal into ornate poppies.

Dozens of boot prints are burned into a boardwalk, vivid black scars that form part of a new memorial honouring tens of thousands of soldiers who left from the port of Halifax to fight in the First World War.

Plans are in the works for a new memorial on the Halifax waterfront to mark the 100th anniversary of the departure of the first full battalion of Nova Scotia soldiers to fight in the First World War.