Lest we forget

We pause each year—at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—to remember those who gave their lives for Canada, or more precisely, the freedoms and values we cherish as a nation.
One only has to look back to last month’s federal election, which saw a peaceful transition from the former Conservative government to a new Liberal one as decided by the Canadian people, for a reminder of what we enjoy today thanks to the sacrifices of so many so long ago.
Sadly, there are new war dead to salute. Those who died in Afghanistan and, most recently, the two soldiers killed on home soil last October—casualties of Canada’s role in the war on terror that started in the aftermath of 9/11 and continues to this day.
Still, with the horrors of the First and Second World Wars fading further into the past with each passing year, it is all the more important to take the time each Nov. 11 to remember the thousands of men and women who mustered the courage to go off to battle in lands far from home–and honour those who paid the ultimate price.
Fortunately, despite the passage of time, a poll commissioned by Historica Canada found 82 percent of Canadians feel Remembrance Day is as important today as it was at its inception following World War I almost a century ago.
But while that is a solid percentage, clearly the key now is to instill that same reverence among our young people so Nov. 11 remains a day of solemn remembrance and gratitude for the next 100 years and beyond.
We, who have benefitted so greatly from sacrifices past and present, at the very least have a duty to pass their legacies onto future generations.
Lest we forget.