Every November, students across the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) wear poppies, gather for Remembrance Day ceremonies and take time to learn about the Canadians who have served our country.
For some students, it is their first introduction to Remembrance Day. For others, it is an opportunity to learn more about Canada’s military history, hear the stories of Veterans and better understand the sacrifices made by those who serve.
Whatever their age, the message is an important one. We remember because the freedoms and peace we enjoy today have come at a cost, and because the people who made those sacrifices should never be forgotten.
Remembering Those Who Serve
This year’s Veterans’ Week, November 5 to 11, comes at a particularly difficult time for Canada’s military community.
The recent tragedy at CFB Wainwright, Alberta, where four Canadian Armed Forces members lost their lives during a training exercise, is a heartbreaking reminder of the risks that come with military service, even here at home.
Behind each life lost is a family grieving, friends mourning and a military community coming together to support one another.
As a Catholic school community, we keep these families, their fellow service members and everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.
Their loss is also a reminder that when we honour those who serve, we recognize not only their commitment to our country but also the sacrifices made by the people who love them.
Learning Why Remembrance Matters
Across our OCSB schools, Remembrance Day provides opportunities for students to learn, ask questions and reflect.
Younger students may discover why Canadians wear poppies, listen to stories about peace or learn the meaning behind the two minutes of silence observed each November 11.
Older students may explore Canada’s involvement in past conflicts, learn about the experiences of Veterans or consider how war continues to affect families and communities around the world.
These lessons help students see beyond the dates and events in their history books. They begin to understand that every name on a memorial represents a person whose life mattered, someone with a family, friendships, dreams and a future.
Veterans’ Week also includes Indigenous Veterans Day on November 8, an opportunity to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Veterans. Their service is an important part of Canada’s history and a story our students should learn.
Nourishing New Beginnings Through Peace
Our OCSB Spiritual Theme, Open Doors, Build Bridges, Nourish New Beginnings, encourages us to consider how our words and actions can make a difference in others’ lives.
During Veterans’ Week, that message feels especially meaningful.
Remembering those who served is also an opportunity to talk with students about the kind of world we want to live in and the responsibility we share in helping to create it.
As a Catholic school community, we teach our students that peace is more than the absence of war. It begins in our classrooms, our schools, our homes and our communities.
It is found in the kindness we show others, the willingness to listen when we disagree, the courage to stand up for someone who needs our support and the understanding that every person deserves dignity and respect.
These may seem like small actions, but they matter. They are also lessons our students can carry with them long after Remembrance Day has passed.
When we help young people understand the importance of compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation, we allow them to build a future shaped by understanding rather than conflict.
That is one way we can honour the sacrifices of those who came before us while nourishing new beginnings for generations to come.
We Will Remember Them
On November 11, our OCSB community will join Canadians across the country in remembering those who gave their lives in service to others.
We will remember the Veterans who returned home, the families who have lived with the loss of loved ones and the Canadian Armed Forces members who continue to serve today.
We will also pray for peace, for those living through conflict and for the families who are grieving.
And as our students stand together in silence, we hope they carry with them something more than an understanding of the past.
We hope they understand that remembrance comes with a responsibility to care for one another, to value peace and to help create a world where future generations can live without fear.
Lest we forget.
