Remembering to remember

It’s a conspiracy. Canadians take Remembrance Day very seriously and every year ceremonies take place everywhere in the country. The University of Toronto has a moving procession that ends at Hart House Tower, where each of the colleges place a reef in honour of those who died in war. As a Non-resident Junior Fellow at Massey College I used to get emails every year inviting the Massey Community to come out and participate in the procession. Unfortunately, each and every year I’m either in class or held up in a work-related activity. This year it was no different. I sat in silence at 11 AM hearing the sound of the gun salutes coming from across Queen’s Park, wishing once again that I was there and thinking of all the men and women who have sacrificed themselves in wars. Although I come from a military family, I am thankful that the closest my family ever got to military combat was the UN Peacekeeping mission in Haiti. As a historian, I know full well that wars are not romantic stages for the demonstration of courage and valour but rather messy, horrific, and traumatizing for all those involved. Our veterans deserve our respect and our remembrance.

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1. Remembrance Day
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