This week, Yorkton Regional High School was one of 150 schools across Canada and Europe taking part in a national public "vigil of remembrance," the first of its kind.
Between November 4 and 11, the names of all 68,000 Canadians who died in the First World War are 小蓝视频 displayed in each of the schools and in the Ypres area of Belgium where many of them died. Each name is projected individually and simultaneously around the world for half a minute during the seven days of the Canada 1914-1918 Ypres vigil.
"The loss of our last WWI veteran really reinforces how we're losing our oral history of these events," said Doug Inham, the teacher who coordinated the project locally. "This vigil helps keep the kids in touch with that history."
Members of the public were invited to observe the names along with students who integrated the vigil into their regular Remembrance Day studies.
"When you hear a number of how many people died in the war, you can't really imagine how many that is. But seeing each name puts the image in your head better," said Grade 12 student Rebecca Kriger.
Kriger and the other 22 members of Perry Ostapowich's history class each compiled 10 facts about one of Canada's historical wars and displayed them on posters around the school during Remembrance Week. Students and teachers alike could be seen stopping to read the posters."I think it's a really good thing to do, because you learn something then keep walking and go on with your day," said Emily Kohlert.
It's all part of the ongoing effort in Canadian schools to keep the lessons of past wars alive."I think that here in Canada today we kind of just take it for granted that we feel safe when we walk outside, and some countries don't have that," said Brandyn Rodgerson. "The vigil helps us see that people in the past have given that to us. Soldiers have risked their lives and given their lives so that we could have what we have today."
