Remembrance Day 2020

Remembrance Day – The Free Press

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A tribute to their service and sacrifice

TheFree FreePress Press The A Special Supplement to

Remembrance Memorial Day services Ceremony and Information special events Inside THANK YOU VETERANS & FAMILIES

WE SHALL NOT FORGET – EKC REMEMBERS THOSE THAT SACRIFICED ON OUR BEHALF

f Remembrance Day Hours f All branches closed Wednesday November 11 f All branches return to temporary branch hours Thursday November 12 EKCCU.COM CR ANBROOK • ELKFORD • FERNIE • SPARWOOD

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Remembrance Day – The Free Press

Remembrance Day Services 2020 Remembrance Day across Canada is going to look a lot different this year, with public gatherings at cenotaphs on November 11 scaled back because of the coronovirus pandemic.

Officials in the Elk Valley say the usual celebrations and ceremonies will give way to more private ceremonies instead. From Jaffray to Elkford and all points in between, Remembrance Day will look a lot different this year.

Elkford: Each year, the Royal Canadian Legion holds the Poppy and Wreath Campaign in which local organizations and businesses are asked for their support in purchasing poppies by donation, in addition to wreaths and crosses to be placed at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day to honour and remember Canada’s fallen Veterans and to help ensure Canadians never forget.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there will be no Remembrance Day Service in Elkford this year. However, you will still have the opportunity to support and donate.

In partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion, the District of Elkford will facilitate the Poppy and Wreath Campaign.

This year, any wreaths or crosses purchased will be laid at the Cenotaph on your behalf by District staff. The wreaths and crosses will be left out on November 11, and you are welcome to visit the Cenotaph at any time on November 11 to pay respects.

We respectfully ask that you practice physical distancing and patience while you wait your turn to approach the Cenotaph if there are others present. All funds collected are forwarded directly to the Royal Canadian Legion.

You are encouraged to tune into the Royal Canadian Legion’s live ceremony via Facebook Live on November 11. To donate and for information: 250.865.4010 or recreation@elkford.ca.

We Will Remember To those who served on the frontlines of conflict; thank you for bringing us to today.

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Remembrance Day Services 2020 Fernie: Due to COVID-19 protocols Fernie’s Remembrance Day services will be limited to invited guests only. The entire community is encouraged to view the services on the Fernie Legion Facebook page or on The Free Press Facebook page. At 10:35 the Motorcade parade will arrive at St. Margaret’s Cemetery. 10:55 a.m. is the Cenotaph Service, 11:00 a.m. is the two minute Wave of Silence. At 11:45 a.m. the Motorcade will return to the Legion.

Sparwood: The Sparwood Royal Canadian Legion Branch #081 invite you to the Cenotaph Ceremony at the Sparwood Public Library at 10:55 a.m., however, crowd capacity will be limited to 50 people at the ceremony. Families can designate Legion personnel to lay their wreaths at time of purchase or families can choose to lay their wreaths privately throughout the day.

To protect all, masks are required and social distancing is to be respected.

Everyone is welcome back at the Legion in Centennial Square with a limited capacity of 40 people and social distancing in place. There will be no luncheon due to restrictions.

REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE FERNIE, BC

•10:35 am Motorcade parade to St. Margaret’s Cemetery •10:55 am Cenotaph Service

•11:00 am 2 Minute Wave of Silence •11:45 am Motorcade returns to Legion

PLEASE NOTE that due to COVID-19 protocols this service will be limited to invited guests only.

All others are welcome to view the service on the Fernie Legion Facebook page, or on The Free Press Facebook page where it will be streaming live.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we shall remember them.

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Remembrance Day – The Free Press

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How and why we celebrate Remembrance Day Remembrance Day has been recognized in Canada since 1931. However, the occasion was initially known as Armistice Day, and was exclusively a celebration of the end of World War I. Here’s what Remembrance Day is all about today and how you can celebrate it.

Remembrance Day in Canada Remembrance Day is celebrated annually on November 11 to honour the contributions of all military service members who gave their lives defending our nation. Similar commemorative events, such as Decoration Day in June and Paardeberg Day in February, were held before World War I. However, the scale of the Great War and the extensive human cost incurred by the conflict led to the adoption of a single celebration.

Canada’s armed forces have since been involved in a number of conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War, the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan, as well as a long list of peacekeeping operations across the globe. Veterans of these wars are likewise honoured on Remembrance Day.

How to celebrate Remembrance Day Here are some ideas for honouring our veterans and their bravery: • • • • • • •

Wear the poppy over your heart Observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. on November 11 Attend a Remembrance Day ceremony in your region Speak with veterans, or listen to interviews with them Learn more about Canada’s memorial monuments Visit a war museum or memorial in your region Learn more about Canada’s involvement in a conflict, peacekeeping mission or humanitarian effort

To learn more about Remembrance Day visit www.veterans.gc.ca.

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Remembers…

We will remember—today, tomorrow and always.

Elkford: 250-865-4651

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Veterans’ Week 2020: annual event goes virtual Veterans’ Week, which runs from November 5 to 11, is an opportunity for Canadians to pay tribute to the extraordinary sacrifices made by our nation’s soldiers. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Veterans’ Week is taking place online. As a result, more people will have the chance to participate in the events.

741 2nd Ave, Fernie, BC (250) 423-4661 www.FernieSA.ca #CanadaRemembers

A shared message

#EndofSWW The National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program has asked current members of the Canadian Armed Forces to deliver segments of this year’s Veterans’ Week speech. The resulting video collage will be played in schools and community organizations across the country during Veterans’ Week.

A common history

Lest We Forget To our Veterans We salute you.

Every year, Veterans Affairs Canada highlights a significant exploit in Canadian military history. In 2020, the event being commemorated is Victory over Japan (V-J) Day, when Japan surrendered to the Allies, effectively ending the Second World War. This year is the 75th anniversary of V-J Day, which occurred on August 15, 1945. On that day, crowds gathered in the streets in Canada and allied nations to celebrate the end of the war in the Pacific and an international conflict that had lasted six years.

Do you want to join the conversation about the anniversary of this historic event? Use the hashtags #CanadaRemembers, #VJDay75 and #EndofSWW on social media.

To learn more about Canadian veterans and Veterans’ Week, visit veterans.gc.ca.

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REMEMBERANCE DAY QUIZ: Canada’s involvement in WWI and WWII

1. Approximately how many people enrolled in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (the field force created by Canada to serve overseas in WWI) before the end of the war? a) 110,000 b) 620,000 c) 1,160,000 2.

To fight the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy), Canada fought alongside the opposing Triple Entente. What countries made up the Triple Entente? a) France, Japan, United Kingdom b) United States, France, United Kingdom c) France, United Kingdom, Russia 3. In what location and in what year did Canadian soldiers see their first major battle during the Great War? a) Sarajevo, 1914 b) Ypres, 1915 c) Vimy, 1917

4. Launched by the United States, the Manhattan Project aimed to develop a bomb capable of bringing the Third Reich, as well as the war itself, to an end. In which Canadian province was research on the production of nuclear material conducted? a) New Brunswick b) Quebec c) Alberta 5. Approximately how many Canadians participated in the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944? a) 8,000 b) 11,000 c) 14,000 6. On what date did Canada officially enter the Second World War? a) September 10, 1939 b) October 1, 1939 c) November 7, 1939

4. b) 5. c) 6. a)

World War I

World War II

1. b) 2. c) 3. b)

Test your knowledge of Canada’s involvement in the First and Second World Wars with this brief quiz.

On November 11th, please pause to remember those who have served and are currently serving our country both at home and overseas.

Lest we forget.

Honouring Our Veterans

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Remembrance Day – The Free Press

THE JOURNEY

by Jennifer Cronin It all begins years ago, as a young man, in his small hometown, perhaps, this town, hears rumblings of a war overseas. He feels a groundswell of excitement as he thinks of sailing the high seas to foreign lands, and he sees his friends and neighbours with duffle bag in hand, heading for the train station.

Surely, he should not miss out on this great adventure?

He packs his bag, and soon, the fresh faced lad hugs his Mama and Papa and leaves to begin his great adventure.

Across the country he travels by train, through the prairies, and the vastness of Ontario, soon arriving at the east coast. The train is filled with other young lads, excited with the prospects that lie ahead. He quickly forms friendships and together with his new found comrades they laugh and are playful.

Arriving on the east coast, the next leg of the journey begins, and the excitement builds. He thinks back to his parents standing at the train station and for a moment he finds himself missing them, but soon the laughter of his friends fill the air as they excitedly board their ship.

Landing on foreign shores days later, the prospect of seeing new things heightens the mood of excitement, and bonds grow deeper with his new friends. They share their living quarters together, they eat together, and they share the dream of the adventure that awaits.

Soon the fresh faced exuberant youth will share something much bigger, they will share a nightmare that for some will never end.

Their comrades become their family. They are allowed to write home, but cannot say anything of their position, their plans, their lives, for fear word might get back to the enemy. Mother writes occasionally, and sends a care package from home. Usually it has his favourite sweets, perhaps a package of cigarettes, and always a letter.

The letter is the best and the worst of the gifts sent from home. Often it will tell how the neighbour lost their boy in Dieppe, or how his cousin was Missing in Action. He hated that part of the letter, but yet he loved the letters from home. A letter without death was a blessing.

Days were spent laying in muddy trenches, bombs exploding overhead, rifles firing, a cacophony of sound, none of it good. The worst was the scream of the men as they were hit with mortar shells, and lie wounded and dying while they waited for help that often came too late.

Day after day, the sound continued, the cold biting to the bone, the loneliness and sadness ripping away at his sanity. When, after days, he could return to his barracks, he would fall onto his cot, praying for sleep to come, and praying for the noise to cease. Praying to make it through another night, or perhaps praying not too.

When he awoke in the morning, some cots would be empty, and he knew that somewhere a mother was writing a letter to her son about another young man that would not be coming home.

This is the story of a soldier, any soldier who returned home. His life is now and forever will be defined by the time he spent at war. It always will be. He will always be haunted by his experiences.

Lest we forget.

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In Flanders Fields In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

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The man behind the poem Submitted The name of John McCrae (1872-1918) may seem out of place in the distinguished company of World War I poets, but he is remembered for what is probably the single best-known and popular poem from the war, ‘In Flanders Fields’.

He was a Canadian physician and fought on the Western Front in 1914, but was then transferred to the medical corps and assigned to a hospital in France. He died of pneumonia while on active duty in 1918. His volume of poetry, ‘In Flanders Fields’ and other poems, was published in 1919.

Before he died John McCrae had the satisfaction of knowing that his poem had been a success. Soon after its publication, it became the most popular poem on the First World War. It was translated into many languages and used on billboards

advertising the sale of the first Victory Loan Bonds in Canada in 1917. Designed to raise $150,000,000, the campaign raised $400,000,000.

In part because of the poem’s popularity, the poppy was adopted as the Flower of Remembrance for the war dead of Britain, France, the United States, Canada and other Commomwealth countries.

Today, people continue to pay tribute to the poet of ‘In Flanders Fields’ by visiting McCrae House, the limestone cottage in Guelph, Ontario, where he was born. The house has been preserved as a museum. Beside it are a memorial cenotaph and a garden of remembrance.

The symbolic poppy and John McCrae’s poems are still linked and the voices of those who have died in war continue to be heard each Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day Services Wednesday, November 11

HONOUR OUR VETERANS Sparwood, BC Royal Canadian Legion Branch #081

CENOTAPH CEREMONY at the Sparwood Public Library 10:55 a.m.

Crowd capacity will be limited to 50 at the ceremony. Families can designate Legion personnel to lay their wreaths at time of purchase or families can choose to lay their wreaths privately throughout the day.

To protect all - masks required and social distancing to be respected.

Everyone welcome back at the Legion in Centennial Square following the Ceremony. istri c t o fLimited spahalfrwo od capacity of 40 and social distancing in place, no luncheon due to restrictions. ox 520, 136 Spruce Avenue, Sparwood, BC V0B 2G0

FOR THE FALLEN They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

- Laurence Binyon

hone: 250.425.6271 |Th Fax: ank 250.425.7277 you for your support mail: sparwood@sparwood.ca

ww.sparwood.ca www.Sparwood.ca

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Remembrance Day – The Free Press

With gratitude on Remembrance Day To all of the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, our deepest gratitude remains with you and your families on Remembrance Day and always.

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November 11, 2020

Honouring those who served and sacrificed

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4 col. x 3” 1/8 page college of the rockies crk In remembrance of those who served and sacrificed for the freedom we have today

THANK YOU!

5 facts about Remembrance Day On November 11, Remembrance Day ceremonies are held across the country to honour the courage of Canadians who fought to defend our way of life. Here are five facts to help you better understand this important occasion.

1. The First World War officially ended on November 11, 1918, with the signing of an armistice agreement. This occurred at precisely 11 a.m. — that is, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

2. Every year, Canadians observe two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day. This is to honour the more than 2.3 million Canadians who served and the more than 118,000 who lost their lives since the start of the First World War. 3. Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday for federal government employees. Six provinces and the three territories have also designated November 11 a statutory holiday.

4. Remembrance Day is celebrated by a number of other Commonwealth member states, including the United Kingdom and Australia, as well as other countries such as France, Belgium and Poland.

5. Canada’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony is held in Ottawa at the National War Memorial. The event is presided over by the Governor General and is attended by the prime minister, veterans’ organizations and the general public.

For more information about Remembrance Day, visit legion.ca/remembrance.

John & Lynda Gawryluk

Cherished Memories Funeral Services & Crematorium Ltd.

An easy way to honour our veterans From the last Friday in October until November 11, Canadians are encouraged to purchase and wear a poppy. This is an easy way to show you remember those who died for their country.

Additionally, donating to the Poppy Campaign directly supports Canadian veterans and their families.

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Remembering World War II Brief Synopsis If we define a “world war” as an armed conflict that involves a majority of the world’s nation-states, then the Second World War clearly fits this criterion, since more than 100 countries were involved and very few remained neutral throughout the war.

For those that were involved, the conflict was total, insofar as it involved not just the government and the armed forces, but their entire population and their economy as well. Factories that had been making cars or household appliances were now being used to make weapons, and everyone was called to do their part for the war effort.

In World War II civilians were also involved more directly because cities and the civilian populations therein were often targeted. Of the principal nations involved in World War II, only the United States was spared the large-scale bombing of its cities. Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, Japan and Italy all experienced bombing of heavily populated cities.

World War II was also the deadliest War ever, with somewhere between 70 and 85 million people killed, mostly civilians in Russia and China. World War II is of course also infamous for the attempted genocide of European Jewry by the Nazis—the Holocaust—which killed an estimated 6 million Jews. World War II is also the only war where atomic weapons were used (by the United States against Japan).

World War II is the last major war in which large areas of land belonging to particular nation-states were annexed or taken over by other nation-states. At the conclusion of World War II, and for some years thereafter, there was much border-drawing to be done in order to partition the world’s nation-states. The consequences of World War II are significant and can hardly be over-emphasized.

The United Nations was formed shortly after World War II in order to prevent war on this scale from ever happening again. World War II made painfully evident both that human beings have destructive impulses which must be checked and also that we have the technological means to annihilate ourselves.

On a more hopeful note, since the end of World War II we have not seen the kind of wholesale “land grabs” by nations such as occurred with Japan and Germany during the War, despite the occasional small acquisition of territory as we saw with Russia in Ukraine (in 2014) and with Iraq in Kuwait (in 1990). These relatively small attempts to acquire contested territory have generally been met with international sanctions, if not outright war.

One other consequence of World War II is that the world has been largely decolonized. This is partly a result of a general consensus that all nations have the right of self-determination, a right which is explicitly listed in the United Nation’s charter. While there was incredible death and destruction as a result of World War II, there were also many great acts of heroism and sacrifice, and it is not for nothing that the generation which fought and won this war is often referred to as the “Greatest Generation.”

Remembering those who have sacrificed everything for our freedoms.

Thank you to all veterans and those in active service from the team at North Coal.

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O

n the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, World War I fighting ceased.

The war, which had raged on throughout Europe for a little more than four years, claimed the lives of more than nine million combatants and seven million civilians. The Allies squared off against the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the conflict involved nations from all over the world.

World War II was even more devastating. Ultimately, 100,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in these two wars combined.

It is in their honour — and in the name of all the servicemen and women who continue to risk their lives in service of their country — that Remembrance Day was established.

Remembrance Day, sometimes referred to as Armistice Day or Poppy Day, is celebrated each year on November 11. It is a federal statutory holiday in much of Canada.

During the holiday, people pause for two minutes at 11 a.m. to remember the many Canadian soldiers who lost their lives. Many people also wear red poppies, a flower that has become synonymous with the holiday.

In addition to the moments of silence and the wearing of poppies, individuals can commemorate Remembrance Day in several different ways.

• Treat a veteran. Take a soldier out for a meal or pay the restaurant bill anonymously.

Remembrance Day – The Free Press

If a family member or friend is presently in the military or retired from the service, learn his or her interests and plan a special, stressfree day.

• Share a servicemember’s story.

Speak with a service person who served in World War II about his or her military service, and chronicle this person’s story into a living history. Encourage children to take part in learning about this person’s history and experiences.

• Volunteer at a veteran’s association. Find a department of veteran’s affairs and see what you can do to assist veterans. If you have specialized skills, offer your services free of charge to former soldiers.

• Show your patriotism. Be proud of your heritage and the rich history of the country. Fly the flag, participate in the voting process and teach children about the country’s founding principles and how much the nation has evolved. Read up on current events and take an interest in domestic and foreign affairs.

• Establish your own traditions. Create your own way to celebrate Remembrance Day. This may include a day of contemplation, spending time with family, visiting historical sites, or watching documentaries on the lifechanging wars that transformed the world.

Remembrance Day is a time to honour the patriotism of selfless soldiers who sacrificed their lives to make Canada — and the world — a safer place.

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A flower, a poem, a campaign Remembrance Day on November 11 commemorates the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year 1918.

This is when the Armistice was signed and is also the date marking the official end of the First World War. To commemorate this day, you are invited to participate in the annual Poppy Campaign, the Royal Canadian Legion’s main source of fundraising, which allows this organization to continue its work with veterans in need.

Nowadays, Remembrance Day includes all wars that have occurred since the Great War. Indeed, there has not been a single day since 1918 that has not been marked by a war or armed conflict somewhere on this planet. So, to put an end to all wars, people across the country wear poppies in their lapels and decorate war memorials with wreaths and bunches of poppies on November 11.

Why poppies? Because this red flower recalls the famous poem “In Flanders Fields”, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae during the First World War. This is the most frequently read and quoted poem about war. It is the mention of poppies in the first and last verses that has turned this flower into an emblem of remembrance and a symbol of new growth in the devastation left by war.

We must all remember the terrible toll wrought by the First World War: the death of 16.5 million people, including 9.7 million military personnel. The Second World War, the bloodiest conflict in our history, saw the deaths of 60 million souls, one third of which were mili­ tary personnel. Please visit veterans.gc.ca for more information about the Remem­brance Day campaign.

Remembrance Day Q&A Q: What are the branches of the Canadian Armed Forces?

A: The Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Q: What is the oldest and largest branch of the Canadian military?

A: The Army Q: When did women begin serving in the Canadian military?

A: In 1885, women began serving as nurses in the field, caring for Canadian troops. Twelve of these women were awarded the Campaign medal for service in the North-West. Since 1989, the Canadian military has allowed women to serve in nearly every role, except aboard submarines, which was allowed in 2000. By 2011, women made up approximately 15 per cent of the Canadian military.

Q: Who was the first female combat general in the world?

A: Canadian Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan became the first-ever female combat general in the world in 2016.

Q: When was Remembrance Day established?

A: Originally celebrated as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth, the name was changed to Remembrance Day in 1931.

On Remembrance Day… We recognize the many sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform both today and throughout our nation’s history. We honour their courage and dedication, and we thank them for their contribution to our country.

Thank You, Veterans.

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REMEMBRANCE DAY November 11, 2020

Take a moment today to remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.

THE FREE PRESS