The Staff and students of Canadore College gathered at Commerce Court Friday to celebrate and honour Canada’s military in a special Remembrance Day ceremony.
The Staff and students of Canadore College gathered at Commerce Court Friday to celebrate and honour Canada’s military in a special Remembrance Day ceremony.
The ceremony hosted by the students and staff of the Police Foundations program, paid tribute to Canada’s first people and to all the fallen soldiers past and present.
College president Barbara Taylor opened the emotional ceremony expressing her gratitude to the Police Foundation program for hosting the ceremony. Taylor said it is important for the college community to come together, reflect and remember.
Before playing the ‘Remembrance Drum Honour Song' Roger Chum told the assembly that at every Aboriginal gathering that veterans are remembered and thanked for their contributions.
Attention then turned to a mulit-media presentation showcasing two Toronto brothers Charles and Walter Gray who served in WWI.
The program also included a slide show ‘We Remember’, a reading of ‘In Flanders Fields’, and a special viewing or the music video ‘A Pittance of Time’.
Rounding out the ceremony and signalling the Honour Guard to depart was a haunting rendition of the Last Post played by Meagan Weaver.
Faculty member Leo De Jourdan says the program hosted the ceremony for the first time last year because there are no cancellation of classes (on a weekday) for students to attend services at Memorial Gardens.
“Some students work on the weekend as well and may not be able to attend the ceremonies tomorrow.”
De Jourdan was impressed with the number of students and administration staff that participated in the event. He said the campus is connected with the current conflict the Canadian forces are involved in and the students at Commerce Court take part in the ‘Support the Troops’ campaign and wear red on Fridays.
“We made reference to every conflict Canada has been involved in,” states De Jourdan.
“It’s important to make the link. The current conflict hits close to home as we have a number of grads serving as military police officers.”
“But we can’t lose sight of past conflicts either.”
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A Pittance Of Time Written by Terry Kelly
They fought and some died for their homeland. They fought and some died, now it's our land. Look at his little child; there's no fear in her eyes. Could he not show respect for other dads who have died?
Take two minutes, would you mind? It's a pittance of time, For the boys and the girls who went over. In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died. It's a pittance of time.
God forgive me for wanting to strike him. Give me strength so as not to be like him. My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips, My throat wants to bawl out, my tongue barely resists.
But two minutes I will bide. It's a pittance of time, For the boys and the girls who went over. In peace may they rest. May we never forget why they died. It's a pittance of time.
Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home. They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own. There's a price to be paid if you go, if you stay. Freedom's fought for and won in numerous ways.
Take two minutes, would you mind? It's a pittance of time, For the boys and the girls all over. May we never forget, our young become vets. At the end of the line, It's a pittance of time.
It takes courage to fight in your own war. It takes courage to fight someone else's war. Our peacekeepers tell of their own living hell. They bring hope to foreign lands that hate mongers can't kill. Take two minutes, would you mind? It's a pittance of time, For the boys and the girls who go over. In peacetime our best still don battle dress And lay their lives on the line. It's a pittance of time
In peace may they rest, Lest we forget why they died. Take a pittance of time.
