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Passing the torch of remembrance to youth is evident at Gleneagle secondary school in Coquitlam where students are organizing a virtual Remembrance Day ceremony to remember Canada’s war effort.
Available online for the public to watch beginning Nov. 10, the half-hour ceremony will honour all those who fought and died in the line of duty to keep Canadians free.
“These people go out and risk their lives for us so we can have liberty, health care and we can have honest government and we thought this was important that Remembrance Day should be commemorated despite COVID-19 challenges,” explained Hussam Hamed, a Grade 10 student who is one of the Leadership 12 organizers.
While schools across School District 43 typically have honour guards and guest speakers to mark Remembrance Day, this is the first year many of those ceremonies have to be scaled back because of COVID-19.
And with many civic events at cenotaphs also being cancelled, the virtual ceremony might be one way Coquitlam residents can observe the traditional moment of silence, hear students read out poetry about the importance of Remembrance Day and listen to a student trumpeter and a piper play the Last Post.
Several speakers will say a few words, including Indigenous veteran Bob Sutherland and veteran Tim Laidler, as well a vocal jazz ensemble and choir, who will sing O Canada and Take You Home.
REACHING OUT TO VETERANS
The students have spent the past several weeks organizing the event, including reaching out to a local veteran, and encouraging people to participate by recording their part of the ceremony.
“We all wanted to do this because we knew how important it is,” said Hamed, “We’ve already put in many hours to put this all together.”
For those watching, the organizers are: Hussam Hamed, Pearl Chan, Shirin Sadlouparizi, Gloria Seo, Skyler Yang, Hadrian Lau, Jenny Park , Diana Li and Amanda Palmatary. The piper is Alexandra Lye the trumpeter is Paul Hong.
The students say it will be shown to students on Nov. 10, and will be available online here.
