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● N’oublions pas, Never Forget—Remembrance Day in Canada

Michael Aquilino English Journalist

With the month of October having come and gone, and, along with it, Thanksgiving and Halloween, November has now dawned upon the calendar year. When I think of November, I do not think of the joys and excitement of the just-past, eventful, warm, or back to school days of September. I don’t think of the aforementioned October days of fun, but rather, I ponder the month through a sort of grim lens. The colourful, vibrant leaves of autumn have now mostly fallen from their branches, the temperatures start to dip, and the woes of another year almost at its end begin to mount. Students of all ages and disciplines have now cozied into another session of academia, with the novelty of a fresh start seeming to have all but worn off. In my opinion, somewhat of a “buffer-like” month, without as much of the anticipation as some of its counterparts, November, and all of its sorrow, offers a time for much reflection, and rest—a break from the perpetual expeditious and restless nature of life. This break, however, is quite possibly appropriate, as there is one melancholic day in November in particular that calls for much reflection and rest: Remembrance Day. On the eleventh day of every November, Canadians come together in celebration, or rather, commemoration, of Remembrance Day, originally called Armistice Day—a day to remember all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. A holiday that will not have an aisle in its dedication in a local dollar-store, nor one that requires much preparation, Remembrance Day is personal, intimate even. It is a day to remember all the brave and courageous souls that, in defence of liberty, stood tall in the face of earthly evils. They fought with their boundless hearts, unknowing of how long they would continue to beat. Canadians, as well as those from all over the world, soldiers, medics, drivers, bakers, labourers, farmers, sailors, teachers, mothers, fathers, children, and beyond, were integral, ensuring that justice and peace would prevail in wartime efforts—and prevail they did, though not without profound loss. Countless lives were lost over the course of two world wars, and a multiplicity of other conflicts. Thus, Remembrance Day, as per the Canadian Legion—a community service organization dedicated to supporting Canadian veterans—is a day to honour those who gave their lives to serve our country. It is a day to pay tribute and respect to those who set off to never return, and also, to those who did return, with some unfathomable stories to share.

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Inaugurated in 1919 as Armistice Day, early celebrations, according to the Canadian War Museum, were marked with little public participation. In 1931, the newly-named Remembrance Day, as most Canadians have come to know it, came into being. Rejuvenating interest in recalling war and military sacrifice, people began to congregate at some much larger ceremonies of remembrance across the country, like the Canadian War Museum). Now 91 years after its inception as Remembrance Day, Canadians still prepare to reminisce. There are many ways that students, and the greater community, can participate in the act of remembrance. Every year, Ottawa hosts a national Remembrance Day ceremony, perhaps the country’s largest, live at the National War Memorial. For those unable to make it out to the nation’s capital, the ceremony will be broadcast virtually on Facebook (on the The Royal Canadian Legion’s page), and on TV (numerous channels are expected to broadcast this event), starting at about 10:30 a.m EST. If you are interested in attending a ceremony in person, the Royal Canadian Legion urges Canadians to locate one of many local ceremonies that will be taking place. There is a locator tool on their website, at https://www.legion. ca/remembrance/remembrance-day/ remembrance-day-ceremonies, with the closest one to Glendon campus being held at Westlake Memorial Park (86 Jasper Avenue). Better yet, York University is also hosting two in-person ceremonies. The first, right here at Glendon, will commence at 10:45 a.m. at the Glendon flagpole (West Quad/York Hall), and the second, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Harry W. Arthurs Common flagpole (Keele Campus). Nevertheless, perhaps attending or watching a ceremony may not be an option for some. Schedules are incredibly busy, and accessibility may be limited. Not to worry, however, as two of the most important symbols of remembrance are those that are performed solely by individuals—wearing a poppy, and observing two minutes of silence. By wearing a poppy, Canadians display a visual pledge to never forget those who served and sacrificed. A seemingly miniscule representation has thus such a tremendous symbolic value, a value that Canadians, in recognizing their patriotism and respect, should be eager to showcase—on the left side, over their heart.

Moreover, The Legion, describing the observation of two minutes of silence as, “[t]he most sacrosanct and central element in Remembrance”, sees such as perhaps the most crucial, yet effortless, component of paying homage to the fallen, and living, on Remembrance Day. Honouring the end of the First World War in 1918, with Germany signing an Armistice agreement with the Allied forces in Paris, at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month (11:00 a.m, November 11), Canadians can take part in a collective two moments of silence. In these two moments, Canadians can reflect and remember, contributing immensely to ensuring that the lives lost and sacrifices made will never be forgotten. As time inevitably continues to pass, and horrid periods of violence further distance themselves in history, we must never forget those that went into battle expecting to pay the ultimate price, and those that did. We must also continue to honour these heroic Canadians, even merely through keeping them in our thoughts, every day after Remembrance Day, and be grateful for the many privileges that we now enjoy—ensuring that their heroism was not performed in vain. Without such sacrifices, Canada, and the rest of the world, may be a very different place today—lest we forget.

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