Changes in our lives have dictated that certain traditions must also be modified to fit what’s happening in this country and beyond.
For the second year in a row, Remembrance Day will be observed in a way that has been adapted to suit the circumstances. Instead of large crowds at a service at Mosaic Place, a smaller ceremony is being held at Jones-Parkview, with restricted attendance, and wreaths either placed in advance or presented at other locations such as the cenotaph in Crescent Park or the memorial statue at Peacock Collegiate. The service will be live-streamed over Facebook to engage citizens in their homes or at their places of employment.
Despite how Nov. 11 will be observed in pandemic conditions with concern about health and security, we are still able to pause in silence at 11 a.m. to reflect and to remember. We will explain the reasons we remember to those who don't understand about Nov. 11 and the significance of the day. We will share stories and pause to wonder what the soldiers in past wars would think about our world today.
Nov. 11 is not just a day away from work. It is so much more.
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I wrote the following column for Moose Jaw Express in 2016 and the message is one I feel could be shared over and over. That column is as follows:
“Several years ago I was honoured to be the guest speaker at the annual Remembrance Day banquet held at the local Royal Canadian Legion hall.
“One of my work colleagues [years prior] questioned why I would want to spend my day off “with a bunch of old guys who had likely spent the day drinking beer.”
“I was disturbed by her crass comment about the veterans and even more disturbed to learn that she had never attended a Remembrance Day service, did not know what went on there and had no desire to learn. Remembrance Day, she implied, was a glorification of war and she wanted no part of it.
“She obviously did not understand that she was able to express such opinions without fear of retribution, in part, because the very veterans she ridiculed served in world wars to ensure our freedom of speech and to free the world from men who would severely limit our right to live peaceful lives.
“When I related her comments during my speech, there were gasps of outrage and shock from the veterans in attendance. After the dinner, one of the men approached me and said I should pity my colleague because maybe she hadn’t been raised in a home where she was able to learn about the sacrifices made by the soldiers, and the families who stayed at home and made their own contributions.
“I believe that elderly man had accurately nailed the problem. Her education about Remembrance Day should have started in the home, or at least in a school classroom. If that had happened she might not have been so dismissive of a day that holds special significance for the men and women and families who had direct knowledge of what the war years meant for them.
“In our home, my Dad didn’t talk much about his actual duties or what he saw. Instead he talked about his buddies, about the people he met who welcomed the Canadian soldiers with open arms, especially in Holland where residents were liberated amid much celebration. He talked about some of the men who came from our community and how he met them overseas and shared news of home.
“He kept in touch with one or two fellow-soldiers and shared visits in our home or in theirs. When they wandered away to talk privately, we suspected only then did he actually relive the days of war with someone who had been there and understood.
“The teachers in our rural school were dedicated to making sure we held a Remembrance Day service each year, inviting local veterans to come and tell their stories or to bring some memorabilia for show and tell. Dad’s medals occasionally came out of the storage trunk for those occasions. And all the students wore poppies and recited the poem, In Flanders Fields.
“Most schools now hold similar observances, with teachers providing educational information on the various wars, past and present, and on the peacekeeping efforts of Canadian troops. With a military base as part of our community, there is every reason to understand why men and women sign up to protect and serve their country, and are prepared to carry the Canadian ideals of freedom to other parts of the world.
“This kind of educational focus in the schools builds a foundation to understand why we observe Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, why we wear poppies and stand in silence to remember all who served, and to salute those who continue to serve on our behalf.
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
