A Time to Remember

Why is there a Remembrance Day?




Why, on November 11th every year, do Canadians stop from their daily work


commitments and observe this day as a special holiday? Schools close and


government, public and private offices all across the nation shut down and


"remember" !


Remember what? Canadians will gather on November 11th, all across our


nation, at war memorials for a two minute period of silence to pay tribute to


and honor the memory of the more than 100,000 Canadians who were killed


in War-World war 1 and 2 and the Korean War. Family members and


government officials will lay wreaths and flowers in their honor.


November 11th was the day on which the fighting stopped in 1918, and this


day was chosen by those who returned from the wars when they would stop


and remember their fallen comrades: those who made the supreme sacrifice


that we may have the freedom in this country that we enjoy today.


This year Remembrance Day marks the 81st anniversary of the signing of the


armistice to end the first World War, November 11th, 1918. After four years


of bloody battles "the war to end all wars" was finally over.


Children my age can't remember the 1st World War so maybe the most


important thing for us to remember is that many of the dead weren't much


older than us. Many of them flew bombers while still in their teens; others


were storming beaches at Dieppe, long before their 21st birthdays. Their


future was as bright as my plans for next summer. They left the excitement of


playing basketball, football, skiing, hockey, track and also their families,


friends and school to fight for Canada.


On November 11th everybody wears a poppy, a reminder of the blood-red


flower which grew in the fields where the fighting occurred in the trenches.


Soldiers noticed this red flower as...