It was a quest that began over three decades ago when the author began teaching at the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OSCVI) in 1984. The school had a long, storied history dating back to 1856 when it first opened its doors to students from Owen Sound and the surrounding area. As a teacher of a survey course in Canadian history for grade 10 students, the author endeavored to highlight the connections to the school and their community. Researching and documenting the experience of the OSCVI's war dead would offer an engaging way to learn history and a window into the Historical Thinking Project's six Historical Thinking Concepts. Changes in history education, with an emphasis on critical thinking by embedding the Historical Thinking Concepts into the curriculum, introduced students to the craft of the historian. They have unearthed resources in their community, enriching the historical record of the OSCVI's war dead and the understanding of conflict.