At 11 a.m. on November 11, Canadians pause for two minutes of silence. For some, those minutes bring to mind a name, a face, or a story passed down through the family. For all of us, they are a chance to remember the people who died in service to Canada and to reflect on what their service asked of them and the people they loved. (canada.ca)
How Remembrance Day began in Canada
At 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, an armistice between Germany and the Allies took effect, bringing the fighting of the First World War to an end. Canada observed its first Armistice Day one year later, in 1919, with two minutes of silence at the hour the ceasefire had begun. (canada.ca)
In 1921, Parliament formally established Armistice Day and paired it with Thanksgiving on the same Monday in November. A decade later, in 1931, Parliament separated the two observances, fixed the date at November 11, and renamed it Remembrance Day. Over time, the day came to honour those who died in service to Canada across generations, from the world wars to more recent conflicts and missions. (canada.ca, our-languages.canada.ca, canada.ca)
How the poppy became a symbol of remembrance
In May 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium, Canadian military doctor John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields after the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. The poem’s image of poppies growing among soldiers’ graves reached readers far beyond the battlefield when it was published in Britain’s Punch magazine that December. (veterans.gc.ca, veterans.gc.ca, veterans.gc.ca)
The tradition of wearing a poppy owes much to Madame Anna Guérin of France. Inspired by McCrae’s poem, she promoted the use of fabric poppies to raise funds after the war. In July 1921, Canada’s Great War Veterans’ Association adopted the idea at a meeting in Port Arthur, now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Today, donations to the Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy Campaign help support Veterans and their families. (legion.ca, legion.ca)
In Flanders Fields
By Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Why we still pause
“Loved and were loved” is the line I come back to. It reminds us that every name we read at a cenotaph belonged to someone who was loved and whose absence was felt long after the fighting ended.
On Remembrance Day, we honour those who lost their lives in service to Canada. We also thank our Veterans and the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who serve today. Much of what military service asks of people happens away from public view. There are long stretches away from loved ones, milestones missed, and families who carry the responsibilities of daily life through months of separation. They deserve our gratitude, too.
Peace, democracy, and the freedoms we exercise every day are easy to take for granted. On November 11, we make time to remember the people who gave so much in their defence. To those who have served and those who continue to serve, thank you.
Lest we forget.
Thrive & Co.
