On May 30, 2000, Matt Smith, of the Australian Imperial Forces Remembrance Project and Steve Douglas of the Maple Leaf Legacy Project photographed most of the 1100 panels of the Menin Gate. The panels list the names of the missing of the Commonwealth forces as a result of the battles in the Ieper (Ypres) salient during The Great War.

There are approximately 6,900 Canadians and 6,100 Australians listed here. We were able to get all of the panels inside the monument and in the stairwells but had to leave those on the outside as there was work being carried out on those areas. We will get them at a later date. Although our projects are concerned with only Canadians and Australians, we took all of the panels so that they may be available if other nationalities needed them. This sort of opportunity doesn't present itself very often.

The Ieper Fire Department volunteer buglers play the 'Last Post' at the gate every evening at 8.00pm and have done so every night since 1928 except during WWII. It is a short but moving ceremony that draws visitors from around the world every night.

Previous attendees to the Last Post ceremony include members of the Royal Families of Belgium and the United Kingdom, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa and several heads of state, government ministers and the November 11 Remembrance day ceremony is still attended by a few of the remaining WW1 veterans, who prove to be very popular with the crowds. The youngest of these men and women are at least 103.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Ieper Fire Department and it's commander Mr. Wilfried Filiers and to Fireman Noël Van Damme for his time, patience and skill in working the ladder truck and getting us onto some tight corners with amazing precision. Also, thanks to the Ieper Police and the Bergemeester of Ieper for permission to close the street through the gate for the duration of the shoot.