Lest We Forget

Remembrance Day is the day British Commonwealth nations observe the end of hostilities of World War I on 11 November 1918; at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

King George V inaugurated the first Remembrance Day, then called Armistice Day, at Buckingham Palace on 11 November 1919.

Some have claimed that Remembrance Day glorifies war, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Remembrance Day is supposed to serve as a reminder to us that war comes at a terrible price; to honour the sacrifice of those who never came home and honour those who did, some horribly broken physically or emotionally.

All across Canada, current military personnel, veterans and ordinary citizen attend services held at Cenotaphs.  Schools, retirement homes and veterans hospitals usually hold special services for those unable to attend their local cenotaph.

The official symbol of Remembrance Day is the red poppy, due to the poem, “In Flanders Field,” written by Canadian physician and WWI soldier, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, of Guelph, Ontario.  Sadly, McCrae would never come home either, dying of pneumonia on 28 January 1918.

In addition to Remembrance Day, Canada has are two other days of remembrance that honour veterans:

In 1994, National Aboriginal Veterans day was established in recognition of the contributions of aboriginal members of the Canadian military.  It is held annually on 8 November.

In 2001, Merchant Navy Remembrance Day was established as a day to recognize the contributions and sacrifice of the Canadian Merchant Marine.  It is held annually on 3 September.

Canadian casualties of wars and conflicts since 1899:

South Africa (Boer) War (1899-1902) – 284

World War I (1914-1918) – over 68, 000

World War II (1939-1945) – over 47, 000

Korean War (1950-1953) – 516

Afghanistan War (2001-2014) – 158

Peacekeeping missions (since 1949) – 50

Coming Soon – Lest We Forget Fire Pit

Below are the 1st gen Artwork for the Standard 33″ Fire Pit with foot rail