|
E-mail this to a friend | Printer-friendly version
Each year, thousands of Canadians wear poppies over their hearts to commemorate November 11th, Remembrance Day. In remembering, we display our gratitude for Canada's servicemen and servicewomen, those who lost their lives in wartime and those who still serve to protect our country. We purchase poppies from the Royal Canadian Legion to assist veterans and their families, but often don't realize there are other ways to honour Canada's veterans.
"The best thing someone can do on Remembrance Day is to go to a memorial service or visit a cenotaph," says Steven Schwinghamer, an historian at Pier 21 National Historic Site in Halifax, N.S. "Attendance shows respect for and awareness of the contributions of veterans, and the ceremonies can be a good opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about remembrance."
Much information about Canada's military history, including educational games, veteran stories, memorials and virtual museums can be found online. You can use the Internet to read about a veteran's experience, search for a family member's service records or sit in the front seat of a Canadian Sherman tank from the Second World War.
Teach your children about veterans and Remembrance Day
It can often be difficult for parents to explain Remembrance Day in terms that children can understand. But some excellent online educational resources and fun activities that deal with Canada's wartime history and veteran information can provide a good starting point:
Learn from veterans in person
By asking simple questions, we can learn more about the war experiences of our grandparents, parents, siblings and friends. My grandfather trained in the navy only two blocks from where I went to university 50 years later. He also shipped out to war from the very pier (Pier 21) I later worked at. I knew none of this until I sat with him one day and asked about his military service.
Schwinghamer works to document the stories of veterans who returned from the Second World War through Pier 21. During that time, close to 500,000 Canadian troops left this pier to serve overseas. You can read these veteran stories and war bride stories at the Pier 21 Resource Centre online.
The Memory Project is also a wonderful place to learn about the lives of Canada's servicemen and servicewomen. This project, an initiative of the Dominion Institute, was created to give Canadians a place to read Canadian oral histories both online and in print. For example, find out how Grant McRae denied "game over" time and time again during the Second World War.
Find a family member who may have served
It is easier than you may think to obtain service records of family members who served in the Canadian Military. The government's Canadian Genealogy Centre offers links that help in finding Military Records and Service Files. You can search under name, regiment, location or war.
If you are seeking information on the grave or memorial of a deceased veteran, the Canadian Virtual War Memorial enables you to search by his or her surname, date of death or unit. The Library and Archives Canada War and Military collection has research aids and virtual exhibitions all about Canada during wartime. The more information that you have, the better your search results will be.
Find fellow veterans
One of our Microsoft Home Magazine's Amazing Story winners, Iona McMillan, used her computer to find former RCAF airwomen she served with in the mid-1950s. If you are a veteran seeking someone from your regiment or office, visit the Veterans Affairs Canada list of Veterans' Groups and Associations. You may also contact The Royal Canadian Legion, the largest veterans' organization in Canada. The Royal Canadian Legion has over 400,000 members and 1,600 branches in Canada. To find your local branch, check your local telephone directory under Royal Canadian Legion.
Find an event to attend in your area
Veterans Affairs Canada is not only dedicated to taking care of Canada's veterans, but also in educating the public. "Each year we provide an Events Calendar on the Veterans' Week website that links to information about upcoming events in each region," says Jennifer Ellis, a web officer for Veterans Affairs Canada. You can use the calendar to find Veterans' Week events in your neighbourhood.
Here are a few other ways to get your family involved:
- Purchase a lapel poppy from a Royal Canadian Legion member and wear it over your heart.
- Stop everything for two minutes and join the pause of silence at 11:00 am on November 11.
- Show your appreciation by creating a thank you card or personally visiting a veteran.
- Say hello to the Canadian troops across the globe by posting a message on the Canadian Forces Message Board.
Updated November 2006
E-mail this to a friend | Printer-friendly version
Relations Coordinator, Brenda Cohen
Back to top
|
