About this Event
What was WWII combat actually like for teenagers? Explore the frontline reality of young Canadian soldiers over drinks.
Canada’s foremost popular military historian breaks down WWII combat at 19 — over drinks.
On August 7, 1944, Private Charles “Chic” Goodman spent his 18th birthday advancing across an open battlefield in Normandy. He had lied about his age at 16 to join the army, and thousands of Canadian teenagers did the same.
What was it like to face combat at nineteen? While some returned carrying deep physical and psychological scars, roughly 23,000 never came home. Join Order of Canada historian Mark Zuehlke to explore the raw, intimate stories of the young generation who went to war and came back indelibly marked.
Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute lecture followed by an open Q&A over drinks.
DATE
Wednesday, November 11th, 2026
LOCATION
Swans Pub, 1601 Store St, Victoria
TIME
Doors open at 6:00 PM | Talk runs 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
SPEAKER
Mark Zuehlke, C.M., is an award-winning author widely considered Canada’s foremost popular military historian. Appointed to the Order of Canada in 2024, his acclaimed Canadian Battle Series is the most exhaustive WWII history written by a single author. He is the recipient of the Governor General’s History Award (Pierre Berton Award) and the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize, as well as the Arthur Ellis Award for his Tofino-set Elias McCann mystery series.
"The only thing better than learning is the conversation after."
Event venue & nearby stays
Swans Pub, 1601 Store St, Victoria, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.