At 11 a.m. on November 11, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, communities across New Brunswick fall silent. It’s a pause that connects us to 1918, when the guns of the First World War finally stopped, and to every generation of Canadians who have served since.
A day of meaning
Remembrance Day honours the men and women who served, and those who gave their lives, in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, Canada’s missions abroad, and peacekeeping and military operations around the world. The red poppy, inspired by John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields,” has become our shared symbol of respect. Every year, New Brunswickers pin one to their coats in the weeks leading up to November 11.
Why it hits close to home
New Brunswick has always carried more than its share of this story. Our province sent thousands of young people overseas in both world wars, and nearly every town, village and parish has a name on a cenotaph that someone’s family still remembers. Many of those names belong to people who grew up on farms, in mill towns and in fishing communities, and who never came home to see these places again.
Our military heritage is living history too. Regiments such as the Royal New Brunswick Regiment and the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment carry the traditions of the units that served before them. CFB Gagetown, one of the largest army bases in the country, is a daily reminder that service isn’t only something in history books. Soldiers, sailors, air personnel and their families are our neighbours, coworkers and friends.
How we mark the day
Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in New Brunswick, which means many of us have the chance to attend a ceremony. From Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton to small communities along the Acadian Peninsula, the Miramichi and the upper Saint John River valley, people gather at local cenotaphs and legions. Veterans, serving members, cadets, Silver Cross Mothers, students and families lay wreaths, listen to the Last Post, and observe two minutes of silence.
Schools across the province hold their own services too, and that matters. It’s where children first learn that peace has a price, and that remembering is something we do together.
Beyond the ceremony
Remembrance isn’t only for one morning. A few ways to carry it forward:
- Attend a local ceremony and stand with your community, especially with the veterans who still make the trip.
- Wear a poppy and support your local Royal Canadian Legion branch, whose campaign helps veterans and their families.
- Learn the story behind a name on your community’s cenotaph. Local archives and the Legion can help.
- Thank a veteran or a serving member, and listen to their stories if they want to share them.
- Check in on older veterans in your community who may feel isolated, and remember that today’s veterans need support too.
Lest we forget
When the silence ends, the remembering shouldn’t. Honouring those who served means being a community that looks after its veterans, teaches its children the history, and values the peace that others secured for us.
We will remember them
