October 31, 2013
Every year since 1919, from sea-to-sea, at precisely 11:00 a.m. local time, many businesses, factories, schools, offices and even traffic in Canada comes to a halt for two minutes of silence on November 11. This event, known as Remembrance Day, aims to commemorate Canadians who died in service to Canada from the South African War to our current missions.
On November 11, 1918, the Armistice agreement between Germany and the Allied Powers went into effect, bringing an end to the horrendous fighting at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For all practical purposes, what was then known as the Great War (and later the First World War) was over. The four-year conflict consumed millions of lives around the world, and its conclusion was cause for thanksgiving. The first Armistice Day was celebrated a year later throughout the Commonwealth.
In 1931, Member of Parliament Allan Neill introduced a bill to hold Armistice Day on a fixed day—November 11. During the bill's introduction, it was decided the word "remembrance" would be used instead of "armistice". The bill passed and Remembrance Day in its current form was celebrated for the first time on November 11, 1931. In order to accommodate this new day of celebration, Thanksgiving Day was moved to October 12 that year.
The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day in Canada and every year millions of Canadians pin one to their lapel or hat on November 11, as a way of expressing their commemoration of the servicemen and women who gave their lives. The story of how the poppy became the symbol of remembrance has varying origins, but its inspiration is without question from Major John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Fields” composed shortly following the 1st Canadian Division’s bloody baptism of fire on the Western Front in April 1915.
The Memorial The Government of Canada’s decision to erect a memorial to those who had served their country during the war was supported by strong popular sentiment. Dedicated by King George VI at 11 o’clock on the morning of Sunday, May 21, 1939, the National War Memorial in Ottawa has come to symbolize and honour all those who have served Canada in time of war.
