WW I soldiers ride Metrobus to mark Beaumont-Hamel 100th anniversary

The Metrobus service in St. John's has wrapped two of its buses with the images of First World War soldiers to remember their sacrifice 100 years ago at Beaumont-Hamel.

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The themed buses are rolling out as part of the 100th anniversary tribute being organized by The Rooms, in a series of events leading up to July 1.

"We're honoured to be part of the event," said Metrobus general manager Judy Powell.

Dean Brinton, CEO of The Rooms, said he expects thousands of people to attend the July dedication of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment gallery — and he is asking people to take the bus instead of using their own vehicles.

"It's going to be quite a magnificent occasion," he said. "It's quite likely it will be very difficult to park anywhere near the building."

The first of seven trailers with infrastructure for the gallery arrived over the weekend, Brinton said, and construction has to be finished on the outdoor amphitheatre at The Rooms.

"We've got our work cut out for us for the next three months," he said.