A Unique Remembrance Day

This year marks the 102nd anniversary of the end of the Great War and Canadians will be gathering in very different ways than past years.

A tradition in Canada, along with most of the worlds western nations is to gather on November 11th, the anniversary of the end of World War 1 to honour and remember those who died fighting for our freedom. This year however, COVID-19 has made this nearly impossible for communities across Canada.

In Antigonish, 2020 started off with a bright future for Legion Branch No. 59 as they moved the Antigonish cenotaph and First World War memorial from Chisholm Park to Columbus Field to accommodate the ever-growing crowds which gather in remembrance. The project was reported across Nova Scotia and represented to many how Canada still deeply cares and is thankful for all the veterans that call Canada home. Unfortunately, the Legion will not be able to host a public service at the cenotaph this year due to concerns over the coronavirus.

This year like many other events, Canadians are asked to stay home for Remembrance Day and use the day as a solum day of thanks and remembrance. The Royal Canadian Legion will continue this year like previous years to sell poppies at local businesses to raise money and give Canadians a chance to show their support for the Armed Forces without endangering public health.

As Canada goes further and further into the 21st century, there remains fewer and fewer veterans of Canada’s participation in the major conflicts of the 20th century. The last veteran of World War One passed away in 2010 at the age of 109, and World War 2 and Korean War veterans are now an average age of 88 and 95 respectively.

This ushers in a generational change that will see Canada lose its elderly veterans and be forced to focus on the veterans of the 21st century war on terror, while not forgetting those who served in peace keeping operations in the 80’s and 90’s. Canada’s approach to caring for her veterans has changed, with advances in medicine there are less people walking with physical battle scars like amputated legs or arms, and more with mental and emotional scars like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The wars in the Middle East have created a middle-aged veteran's group that will need all our support for many decades to come and ask us to remember those who’ve died in pursuit of installing freedom to every corner of the world. There are young children still without mothers and fathers, and parents who were forced to bury their children before they had the chance to breed families of their own.

Although some wars fade into the memory of Canadians, Canada must never forget the veterans who still live with those experiences every day and the loved ones of those who never came home. Surely there will be future world conflict that will see Canada send more of its young people to sacrifice their lives to protect their homes and their families. Students and young people must remember that they are only 1 day away from possibility being veterans themselves.