Remembrance Day is coming up next week.  Ninety years ago this coming Tuesday, November 11, marked the end of what was then known as the Great War.  Some even called it The War to End All Wars.  They were, of course, incorrect.  In September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany, starting the nearly six year war to end hate. The war was also fought in the Pacific against Japan, which led to the internment of people of Japanese descent who lived on the west coast.

Many people wonder if Remembrance Day is relevant in today’s society.  Many parts of Canada are very diverse, with people who came to the country after World War Two ended, therefore having no connection to the Canadian aspect of the war. I don’t understand that logic.  Just because family wasn’t involved, doesn’t mean that you can’t be part of it.  Some also say that no one should be remembering an era where people of certain ethnicities had immigration restrictions and didn’t have the right to vote.  However, they’re forgetting a few things.  First, while discrimination was, at that time, sanctioned by Ottawa, veterans were more ethnically diverse than most people are led to believe.  I recall watching a news segment about VE-Day back in 1995, where one of the veterans they interviewed was of Chinese descent.  There were South Asian soldiers in both world wars.  Secondly, while Remembrance Day certainly plays up the First and Second World Wars, we must also remember that Canada has troops in Afghanistan right now.  Perhaps we should think about this day not just in the context of the past, but also of the present.

Remembrance Day shouldn’t be something taken lightly.  Remembrance Day is considered a holiday in many parts of Canada, meaning that kids have the day off school.  This isn’t a good idea.  The kids are probably at home playing video games.  It’s not very likely that these kids are watching Remembrance Day services on television nor are parents likely going to talk to them about history.  It’s the school’s job.  Maybe a better idea is to have the schools devote this day to Canadian history. We don’t want these kids to grow up ignorant about Canada’s past.

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