It was a special ceremony to remember Saskatchewan’s fallen heroes as members of the military joined ranks with a local student troop.
Students from St. Margaret’s school came together with members of 15 Wing, and the Moose Jaw Legion, to place a poppy at each headstone at Rosedale cemetery in Moose Jaw, Sask.
The decoration is part of a Canada-wide tradition, with 25 cities taking part in the coast-to-coast campaign. On Monday, Moose Jaw marked the first Saskatchewan city to participate.
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According to 15 Wing Commander Colonel Denis O’Reilly, the movement enables students to connect more with Canada’s history.
“I think it’s a more personal touch. It also allows us to connect that educational piece,” O’Reilly said.
“They’ll probably celebrate with their families on the day that everyone’s off work but this is nice because we can bring it into the classroom,” he said.
It’s a history lesson that goes beyond the classroom. The movement started five years ago in Edmonton, and today acts as a present reminder of past sacrifices.
“I hope the younger ones will come up and do as good of a job as they did in the past and keep this country as it has been,” veteran Alex Cameron said.
Grade 7 student Rhys Turcott said his great-uncle fought in the second world war. He said it gives him that personal connection — to help him better understand what many have sacrificed.
“This year, I keep on thinking about Remembrance Day and just thinking about all these families,” Turcott said.
“Remembering everybody who helped us and fought for our freedom and helped other countries. And some even lost their lives, which is kind of crazy,” he said.
Another student, Danamay Maneso echoed those thoughts. She said she hopes the ceremony can help people of her generation learn more about the history of Remembrance Day.
“This ceremony means remembering all the people that helped or saved our country… and bring their stories to our generation and generations to come,” Maneso said.