Reporter: Courtney Williams
This Remembrance Day, there are a few things students should keep in mind when sporting the trademark Poppy or attending the campus ceremony.
The Royal Canadian Legion’s job is to support war veterans, many of whom are living month–to–month on pensions. This is why they sell the poppy and protect their trademark on it – to ensure others don’t advertise or profit from it while giving nothing back to veterans.
The first Remembrance Day was held in 1919 and was originally called “Armistice Day.”
It was held to recognize the end of the First World War on Monday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. This is why ceremonies typically hold their moment of silence at 11 a.m. on the dot.
Remembrance Day has since expanded to commemorate those who have contributed to the Canadian war effort in all battles from the First World War, to the South African war, to current missions.
The popular poem recited every year on Remembrance Day, “In Flanders Fields”, was written by Canadian physician and lieutenant colonel John McCrae during his time in the trenches in the First World War.
He originally discarded the poem because he was unsatisfied with his work but fellow soldiers retrieved it.
Many war veterans and people who have sacrificed their time, effort, and potentially their lives will be in attendance at these events.
