Remembrance Day
On Friday we stopped, remembered and gave thanks for all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. We discussed some traditions that are part of Remembrance Day....

Two Minutes of Silence
Remembrance Day is also known as Armistice Day. On the eleventh day of the eleventh month at 11:00 in 1918, an armistice (formal agreement) was signed between the Allies of World War 1 and Germany to stop fighting on the Western Front (in Europe). It is for this reason that we stop and observe two minutes of silence at 11:00 on November 11th.
Before the two minutes of silence, the "Last Post" is played to remember soldiers who have died in wars. It is also played at military funerals and is usually followed by "The Rouse".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ctrQ8Mw9kg

We also watched a very powerful video with a very important message. Do you remember the message we discussed?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo

Finally during our two minutes of silence we watched these images. Try to find out the names of a few of the famous Canadians in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb-yMSsmFkY

Laying of Wreaths at Cenotaphs
(read carefully to clarify questions about Tomb of Unknown Soldier)

A cenotaph is an empty tomb or monument built to honour people who died fighting, but are buried somewhere else or soldiers who went off to war and never returned. On Remembrance Day, a ceremony is conducted at cenotaphs in cities all over Canada. Here is a picture of the ceremony here in London. Do you remember where the cenotaph in London is located?


In Ottawa, the capital of Canada, we have a National War Memorial. It honours all of those who have served Canada in wartime (World War I, World War II, South African War, Korea) and the military mission in Afghanistan.

In May 2000, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added to the memorial. The remains (body) of an unidentified Canadian First World War soldier were exhumed (dug up) from a cemetery in France close to Vimy Ridge (an important battle during WWI where many Canadian soldiers fought bravely and sacrificed their lives) and was flown to Canada. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sits at the base of the National War Memorial in Ottawa.



You can see all the people placing poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:

Below is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau placing a wreath at the National War Memorial:


Highway of Heroes
The Highway of Heroes, a stretch of Highway 401 between our Armed Forces base in Trenton, Ontario and Toronto, our province's capital city. Each time one of our Canadian troops is killed in battle, he or she is flown "home" to Trenton where a repatriation ceremony takes place. Then a motorcade of police cars, military personnel, hearses and family members travels along the Highway of Heroes to the coroner's office in Toronto. On overpasses along the 401, Canadians stand, many holding flags and signs, to honour the fallen soldier.

"Highway of Heroes", was co-written and co-produced by The Trews and Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar) and was inspired by the 2006 death of Captain Nichola Goddard from The Trews' hometown of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkgV5bl7kQ