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Canada Remembers
by E.B. Lapointe
As 11 November nears each year, Canada
takes time to remember those who have served their country, as well as
those who continue to serve today. On Remembrance Day, a national
ceremony is conducted at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, and also
at various memorials across the country.
There are a couple special
ways to remember this year: through the issue of the Victoria Cross
Commemorative Stamp by Canada Post—which notes the 150th
anniversary of the issuance of the Victoria Cross to soldiers of the
Commonwealth on the 24th of October—and the issuance of the Poppy Coin,
the world's first coloured coin in circulation. It is the Canadian 25
cent piece, which has a red poppy in the center. It commemorates the
117,000 who have died in service to Canada.
The stamp can be seen and ordered from <http://www.canadapost.ca/personal/collecting/default-e.asp?stamp=stpdtl&detail=962>, and the coin can be seen at <http://www.mint.ca/microsite/en/index.asp>.
Under "Canada Remembers" on the bilingual Veteran's Affairs Canada/Anciens Combattants Canada website, <http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers>, the government department has developed the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
| Remembrance
Week is held from the 5th to the 11th of November, 2004. This year, we
are remembering the 93,000 men who took part in the Italian Campaign,
those who fought from south to north in Italy during a 20 month period
to protect global peace and freedom. |
The site contains information about the
graves and memorials of more than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders
who served and gave their lives for their country. Also included at the
website are more than 100 soldiers who have died in service since the
Korean Conflict, in peacekeeping and other operations.
As it says on the website, "The Canada Remembers Program endeavours to keep alive the achievements
and sacrifices made by those who served Canada in times of war and
peace; to engage communities in remembrance of these achievements and
sacrifices; and, to promote an understanding of their significance in
Canadian life as we know it today."
The website is easy to search. Simply put in
the surname of the person researched and a list of the people with the
same last surname will be listed.
At the bottom of the page are additional resources on the Internet, such as the Canadian Genealogy Centre at <http://www.genealogy.gc.ca/06/06_e.html> which has databases of soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) and of the South African War.
The Library and Archives of Canada also pays homage to Veterans'
Week 2004 by offering a plethora of information on their website at <http://www.collectionscanada.ca/2/38/index-e.html>.
Return to the Canadian Connections home page.
Additional Articles
Canadians "Out West"
Maritimers in the "Boston States"
Canadians in the New England States
"A former newspaper reporter in Canada's capital, Ottawa, I
became interested in writing about genealogy when researching my own
ancestor, Andrew Barclay, an American Loyalist from Boston, Massachusetts,
early in 1990. Quickly, my interest spread beyond my own family, and by 1994,
I was editing a genealogy newsletter and by 1997, I was editing the Sourcing
Canada series of books. Since then, I have gone on to write "My Ancestor Was
French Canadian" and a series of booklets on Canadian genealogy. I love to
travel the Canadian and American countryside looking for interesting people
and places to photograph and to write about." - E.B. Lapointe
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© Copyright 2004 by E.B. Lapointe -- All Rights Reserved. This article may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from the author.
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