THOMSON: Remembrance matters, and we need to do a better job of it

There are only two days remaining until November 11th. Why is this important day of solemn remembrance in danger of irrelevance in Canada?Of course this premise stems from Friday’s news that in Halifax Sackville Heights Elementary, sent a notice to families asking veterans and serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces to abstain from wearing their uniform if they planned to attend the school’s Remembrance Day ceremony.Given the fact the school is located in close proximity to one of Canada’s largest military bases, the backlash to this announcement was swift and overwhelming. Condemnation ran rampant on social media and the school administrators were inundated with complaints from parents, the community, and politicians at every level of government.Not surprisingly, the school quickly reversed its position stating that past and present members of the CAF could indeed wear their uniform to the ceremony. But by then, the scandal had already made national headlines.Alright, it's fixed now. But, this incident serves as a worrisome bellwether regarding the extent of deterioration of our society and institutions which we have witnessed of late.By this I refer to the pro-Palestinian/Hamas ideological capture of our universities, academics, and many of our politicians. And indeed, earlier today we learned of the proposed use of the poppy to commemorate the death of terrorists. .SLOBODIAN: 'Vigil' to honour terrorists hijacks Remembrance Day symbol.Even worse perhaps are appalling examples of our law enforcement agencies giving deferential treatment to protestors and law breakers — or even more scandalous, their complicit involvement. The latter was epitomized recently in the case of a Peel Regional Police officer who took part in a Khalistani mob attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton.All of this spells trouble for what lies ahead for our day of Remembrance. So how do we save it?As it stands, the last of our World War Two veterans are dwindling away. Our Korean war veterans have always been an afterthought in the national conscience, and our peacekeeping and Afghan war veterans are all but invisible. With our veteran voices diminished and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) on life support, the task is going to fall to the federal government, The Royal Canadian Legion, and to every Canadian who feels strongly about Remembrance Day.First and foremost, the Federal government is disinterested in anything to do with military honour. It must make them uncomfortable. In any case, it must do a better job promoting Remembrance Day and fostering pride in our veterans, as well as our military both past and present.To do this, money should be put towards education, and reconnecting Canada to the CAF. Fixing our procurement, recruiting and equipment will help, but another important measure might be sending our uniformed members out across the country to attend every elementary school ceremony across Canada.There are only 14,600 public schools in Canada as of 2020, so with the CAF’s current level of personnel it’s definitely doable. Assign a team to organize and plan ‘OP REMEMBRANCE’, prepare the involved members to give a compelling speech, then send them out across the nation rekindle that connection. If done well it may also help with bringing recruits to the organization.While the responsibility to fund these efforts rests with the government, the bulk of the work should fall to the Royal Canadian Legion which has and will continue to play a central role in Remembrance Day. But it needs a major overhaul on how it conducts its business. A good first step would be to drop membership fees to zero for veterans for their first five years. At present the first year after releasing from the military is free, but that first year is a chaotic and difficult adjustment period for veterans, and not everyone wants to join right away.Offering five years might entice them to join, after which they need to be engaged meaningfully, then hopefully they will be retained them within the organization. Because while the Legion has seen a 5% membership growth over the past two years, attracting new and younger veterans still remains a challenge that they must overcome.Another idea would be to give the Legion more federal funding but making them accountable by tying that funding to the rate their members attend or participate in school Remembrance ceremonies.If for example there are ten schools in one legion's district, but they only attend five schools during the Remembrance period, then they only get 50% of any federal funding that might otherwise be allocated to them. In a nutshell, more emphasis needs to be on teaching Remembrance, and less on meat draws and dart night.Lastly, Canadians who feel strongly about Remembrance Day need to get involved. Just wearing a poppy might have been enough 30 years ago, but it isn’t any more. Attend your local Remembrance Day ceremony, consider joining or donating to your local legion, volunteer to visit a veteran in a retirement home, or purchase a flag with ‘Lest We Forget’ and fly it proudly in your yard.What we remember, is reflected in how we remember and the effort we put forward in that endeavour. Right now the extent to which we do reflects poorly on us all and tarnishes the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.We need to enact change... Lest we forget.

THOMSON: Remembrance matters, and we need to do a better job of it

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