Whenever the door opens at the British Grenadier Bookshop, proprietor Steve Douglas doesn’t know who is going to walk through. The shop is located off the grand market square, near the Cloth Hall towers in Ypres, Belgium and down the street from the Menin Gate, where a Last Post ceremony is held every evening. The ceremony draws in people from all over the world who are interested in the First World War. Douglas, who was born in Greenwich, U.K. but grew up in Kitchener, Ont., has been in Belgium for more than two decades because of his enduring interest in the First World War. “If there is somebody out there that wants to come over and live in Belgium, great.

Source: CBC News December 23, 2025 10:36 UTC