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50 Ways to Remember

50 Ways To Remember

Canadian youth pause for silence at The Passchendaele Memorial, Passchendaele, France, October, 2005. Photo: VAC.

Canadian youth pause for silence at The Passchendaele Memorial, Passchendaele, Belgium, October, 2005. Photo: VAC.

Attending Remembrance Day ceremonies on November 11 is the best-known way that we can publicly honour the men and women who served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace. In addition, there are many other ways that we can show throughout the year that we care about the sacrifices and achievements of these one and a half million brave Canadians who served, and continue to serve, our country at home and abroad.

Remembering can take many forms: music, ceremonies, poetry, private reflection, discussion, art and shared memories from those who took part in protecting peace and freedom worldwide. In the following pages, you'll find 50 different ways that individuals and groups can share the importance of Remembrance.

More than 110,000 men and women died so that we may live in peace and freedom today. Taking an active role to remember these people, along with the Veterans who experienced the hardships of war, military conflict and peace efforts, is one way of saying "thank you."

General Interest

Wear a poppy to honour those in uniform who have served Canada and also those who have died in service to our country.
Attend Remembrance Day ceremonies or if you can't go watch them on television.
Lay a wreath at the cenotaph with classmates and friends.
Pause for one minute of silence at 11:00 a.m. on November 11 to honour those who served and died in times of war, military conflict and peace.
Help plan and participate in a commemorative ceremony at school or with a community group.
Thank a Veteran or Canadian Forces member for supporting peace and freedom efforts around the world.
Organize, participate in, or attend a candlelight tribute ceremony at a cemetery to remember citizens in your community who died during military service to Canada.
Spread the word about Veterans' Week, Remembrance Day and other commemorative events using your school's newspaper, Web site or daily announcements.
Organize an essay or poster contest on the topic of Canada's role in the First or Second World War, the Korean War or Peace Support missions.
Plan, organize or participate in a debate or discussion looking at how Canada's military history still influences our lives today.
Plan, organize or participate in a 1920s, 1940s, or 1950s dance or "Victory Ball." Research the clothing, hairstyles, music, food and decorations of the time and include those themes in the event.
Bring examples of wartime art (such as paintings or posters), books and stories, poetry and music to school to show and talk about with your peers. Discuss what their purpose was during the war, why they were important, and what makes them unique.
Organize a concert featuring music from the war-era. Take the concert to a nursing home and perform for the residents.
Hold a series of community readings where citizens share their favourite passages from military-related books, novels, poems, letters and diaries.
Read a selection of books on the topic of remembrance. Visit Veterans Affairs Canada's Web site
Show a video or film on Canada's role in the wars and peace missions of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Dieppe Raid Veteran Bruce Carnall with children from St-Aubin-le-Cauf, France, August 2002. VAC Photo.

Visits

Adopt a Veteran's grave in your community. With the permission of the person's family or the cemetery, visit and take care of the grave. You could dig weeds, plant flowers or clean the headstone.
Research the story of a family member, friend or neighbour who served Canada in wartime or peacetime. Tell that person's story to your class. Describe how his or her life was affected by their service and talk about the challenges they faced after the war.
Invite a Veteran or a Canadian Forces member to speak to your class. You can find a list of speakers by visiting the Dominion Institute's "Memory Project" Web site (Opens a new window). The Royal Canadian Legion's Web site (Opens a new window) also lists Veterans who may wish to speak in your community.
Listen to Veterans and Canadian Forces members talk about their wartime and peacetime experiences on the "Heroes Remember" feature of the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site.
Invite a Dutch immigrant to your school to speak about the special connection between the people of the Netherlands and Canadian troops during the Second World War - a connection still felt today! Your local chapter of the Dutch Canadian Association can help you find a speaker.
Contact your local or provincial War Brides Association and invite a war bride to visit your school. Ask her to describe what it was like to marry a Canadian soldier and move to a new country. Discuss what challenges war brides faced in Canada at the time.
Visit local nursing homes to spend time with those from the wartime generation. Prepare a question list as a class before going and report to other classes at your school following your visit.
Invite someone to speak to your class about their work with a community support or volunteer organization during the war years. These may include the Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Salvation Army, St. John's Ambulance and the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE). Research their wartime activities prior to their visit.

Research

Research how Canadians at home supported the war effort overseas. Discuss what you have learned as a class.
Interview a Veteran, relative, family friend, neighbour, war bride, nursing sister, factory worker or another person who was impacted by the war. Ask about his or her wartime experiences and how they contributed to the war effort. Prior to the interview, prepare a question list. Record the interview and share it with the class.
Find evidence that citizens in your community participated in the war - things such as memorials, Veterans' graves or honour rolls in churches. Visit the local cenotaph or war memorial to study its inscription. Make a map of the community and mark where war memorials/statues/monuments are located. Research what they commemorate, when they were erected, who erected them and why.
Using the Internet, research Canadian memorial sites located around the world. Show them on a map and describe their significance. Have your class design and construct its own monument. For information on Canadian memorials, visit the "Memorials" section of the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site.
Research memorials located around the world that commemorate animals in war. Show the memorials on a map and describe their significance.
Make a list of animals that helped in war and peace support efforts - either overseas or in Canada. Explain what each animal did and why it was important.
Do a novel study, individually or as a group. Choose a fictional or historic book with a storyline based on Canada's war or peacekeeping involvement.

Symbols of Thanks

Write to a Canadian Forces member posted in Canada or overseas. Visit the Department of National Defence Web site (Opens a new window).
Participate in the "Valentines for Vets" or "Christmas Cards for Troops" projects. Send special greetings to Veterans in local nursing homes or Canadian Forces members posted overseas.
Plant tulips, a tree or an entire memorial garden in memory of local citizens who died during their military service and/or Veterans from your community who have passed on.

Creative Writing

Write a letter to a Veteran (it could be a relative, family friend or someone from your community) thanking them for their sacrifice and celebrating their achievements.
Play the role of a war correspondent from the First or Second World War. Write headlines, news stories, local interest features, or advertisements as if you went back in time.
Compile a list of scientific and technological innovations developed in times of war. Write an essay on their impact on today's world.

A Canadian youth remembers those killed during the Korean War at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, South Korea, July 2003. VAC Photo.

Activities

Research the contribution of Aboriginal, African or Asian-Canadian soldiers during the First or Second World War or the Korean War. Present your findings to your classmates.
Create a flag, crest or symbol commemorating the contribution of certain groups during the First or Second World War or the Korean War. These groups could include women, or Aboriginal, African or Asian-Canadians.
Prepare a graph showing various statistics on Canada's involvement in the First or Second World War or the Korean War. Compare the numbers of those who died, were injured or taken prisoner of war to the population of your school, town, city or province. How do these statistics compare to other countries involved in the war?
Research and prepare a report on the various war service medals awarded to Canadians. Look at the reasons why specific medals are awarded, their "order of precedence," and at the stories of people who have earned certain ones. Present your findings to your class.
Research and write an essay on a Canadian who earned the Victoria Cross and present your findings to your classmates. For information on Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross, visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site.
Create a war memorabilia exhibit or a "Wall of Honour" in your school. Display photographs, newspaper articles, artifacts and pictures of community members who served in the military. Invite family members and the public to visit. To see an example of a "Wall of Honour," visit the Canadian Forces section of the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site.
Prepare a menu, a cookbook or a meal-plan based on wartime rations. What was substituted for rationed items such as sugar? Sell the cookbook to raise funds for another school project.
Plan and organize a play that tells the stories of Veterans from your community who have served in wars and peace support missions.
Make "Izzy" dolls and send them to Canada's service men and women to give to children who live in troubled areas of the world.
Encourage your local public library or local businesses to create a display of wartime memorabilia. Ask them to include photographs, uniforms, badges, military medals and decorations or diaries in the displays.
Volunteer at an elementary school library to read wartime stories to young children. You could also share the personal stories of local Veterans and members of the Canadian Forces.
Visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site regularly for news, information and ideas on how to mark Veterans' Week and other important times of remembrance.
Last but certainly not least: never forget the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who have served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace - especially those who did not return.