Every year on November 11, Canadians stand together to remember those who served and continue to serve our nation during times of war, conflict and peace. Remembrance Day originally marked the end of hostilities that occurred during the First World War, and since then has presented us with the opportunity to recall all those who have served in our country's defense. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, is a solemn moment in time. Canadians stand together in two minutes of silence to recognize the veterans who sacrificed their lives protecting our freedom.

The red poppy is a powerful symbol of remembrance. It is a bright red flower that still grows on the former battlefields of Belgium and France. Millions of Canadians wear a poppy to visually pledge to never forget. Struck by the sight of these blooms, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a physician of the 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, wrote In Flanders Fields after the death of a comrade. So many years later, his poem continues to poignantly express the tragedy and losses of war.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
John McCrae (an excerpt)

Together, we reflect and pay tribute to our heroes - to those who came back wounded, those who came back with mental scars, and those who never returned at all. By remembering the Canadians who went off to war in distant lands, sharing their stories, and accepting the torch they passed to us, we honour and learn from their courage at home, around the world, and across generations.