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Remembrance Day in Toronto 2012
Remembrance Day ceremonies and events in Toronto take place every year on November 11th. This year, Remembrance Day falls on a Sunday. For those looking to honour our veterans, the City of Toronto puts on a number of official ceremonies that are open to anyone to attend. These take place at Old City Hall, Fort York and the following Civic Centres: East York, Etobicoke, North York and York.
- Old City Hall, 60 Queen Street West. 10:45am.
- Fort York National Historic Site/Strachan Avenue Military Cemetery, 250 Fort York Boulevard. 10:45am.
- East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Avenue. 10:45am.
- Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall. 10:15am.
- North York Civic Centre, 5040 Yonge Street. 10:45am.
- York Civic Centre, 2690 Eglinton Avenue West. 10:45am.
Additional Remembrance Day ceremonies are also taking place throughout Toronto. A number of these are listed on the City of Toronto Lest We Forget site. The Ontario Government also puts on their own ceremony at Queens Park. It too starts at 10:45am and all details are listed on this web site.
Finally, there's also the Corktown Neighbourhood Remembrance Day Service, A tribute at the Argos game and the Westlake Brothers Memorial service.
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I attended my children’s Remembrance Day assembly this year. I listened to Flanders fields, I watch them attach each carefully constructed poppy to the wall – cut out of construction paper, and solemn sayings and quotes written all over in the hands of children. As I sat and watched the all too familiar rituals that I went through myself for many years as a child, I thought to myself.
How is it that THIS holiday stands still? Untouched by the hands of time? Almost every assembly all over the world goes through the same ritual endlessly. So solemnly. What is it that’s so significant that nothing else can make the world stand still for one minute? But to me, we REMEMBER all the lost soldiers… we DO forget the real reason for Remembrance Day.
The answer was so clear to me – it must be Peace. And yes, I’ve been accused of having an attitude consistent with hippies, gypsies and many others more than one time for my “One Love” socialist attitude, but it’s actually the truth in this instance.
Remembrance Day is held on November 11th at 11 a.m. EVERY year for a reason. It marks the armistice to end the First World War, which came into effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 1918. It actually symbolizes the end of our First World War. But I didn’t remember that from my assemblies. All I remembered was that I was supposed to remember all the fallen soldiers, and the sacrifice they made. This holiday empowers and embraces war for peace.
When I look around in the world today, I see that not much has changed. Many countries, peoples, even continents are experiencing war right now. And why? We can trick ourselves into believing that it’s for our own freedom and protection like people did in the 1918’s… but let me ask you this people. Haven’t’ we evolved farther than that? Didn’t we learn what the wars were about? Were they really trying to free us from Bin Laden? No. That was about oil. War is about money. Period. And I’m not suggesting that our soldiers and armies are useless. I am eternally grateful for every single soldier that stood up for my country. My grandfather is a decorated war vetran. But I just think that we have learned, or should have learned by now that war is not the answer to Peace. It just isn’t’. It never leads there does it? Fighting just simply doesn’t solve anything. And we teach our kids this from young right? Anti-bullying is all the craze these days. Well what is war if not a GIANT bullying campaign? It’s ultimate goal is always to MAKE someone or some people do something that they don’t want to do.
Now if this is out of pure protection for your very own family, I understand that. Don’t’ get me wrong – if someone tried to hurt my children – I would do everything in my power to protect them.
Activists have been rallying for world peace for many many years… to date it’s not been effective. You know why? Because in reality, we can’t change others. WE can guide people, and inspire people and certainly have an impact on people. IF I didn’t’ believe that I wouldn’t be writing this article.
But on our individual paths as humans to find that peaceful place in our environments, first we have to find that place within ourselves, each and every one of us as an individual. Choosing peace and harmony is not something you can make a group of people do. Some people are just not that far up yet on the enlightenment ladder. They are not strong enough to come up one more rung. Others can. That’s it. So you can’t make people do something that they are not capable of, no matter how much you want them to.
But the reality is… the freedom that each of us as humans seek is in our minds. What if on Remembrance Day 2012 all the soldiers, in all the races, of all the people in the world put down their guns and went home. If one individual did that, nothing would happen. What if every single soldier in the world, in every culture, in every race, in every geographical location just said “yeah, I’m over this – I’m not fighting anymore. I’m going home to my family now”… put down their guns and went home.
I think what would happen is that suddenly everyone would realize that the things that we the people are fighting for are completely insignificant. If we stop hurting each other, no one would need protecting. If the government would share all the money it made with all the people, no one would be hungry. If we stop reaping our environment and learn ways to improve her – our lives will get better.
So for Remembrance Day this year, I’m going to remember the time of Peace, and I’m going to resolve to find my own peace. Anger is a useless emotion. I’m a spiritually enlightened human. I’m going to just stop being angry. Find another way. Stop fighting. We all do it, because essentially we’re an infant in the lifeline of humanity and so far – we’re still in the toddler stage. When we don’t get what we want, we punch we bite, we use our intellect to build weapons and we basically bully others into our way. What if we just accepted the differences in everyone. Allowed people to find their own way? Lets move up the evolutionary ladder and learn how to talk – even at a grade school level.
I think this is what the end of the Mayan calendar was supposed to signify – more enlightened humans on the earth. Look around – Obama was elected, again. He’s a true leader. The people have spoken. We are ready to take back our happiness, our independence.
So I hope that many of you follow my lead, and make the same decision. Think about your own lives. Think of the conflicts and arguments happening right now. Choose a peaceful solution. Every time. If you do that, and your neighbor does it, and your mother…. You get the idea.
Start now, today. Think of how many different jobs we all have? Teachers, plumbers, politicians, police officers, nurse…. We CAN have an impact.
And this Remembrance Day I am going to Celebrate Peace and look forward. Lest we never forget the day the war ENDED
I do my part to try to keep their memories alive. Please do the same.
And give a few bucks and wear a damn poppy
Who cares? When we started invading other countries to shove "our" beliefs down their throats all respect for our idiot military was lost.
/ \
You don't need to agree with war, just respect the people that put their lives on the line while wearing our Canadian flag.
You don't like it, meet me at the gate to the Prospect Cemetery tomorrow morning at 7:30am and we'll discuss it face to face. Wanker.
Me / NOVEMBER 10, 2012 AT 11:17 PM
whose knowledge of world history and politics fits on the pube of an ant with room to spare.
Think about it, you two, before you post something so utterly stupid again.
If you don't want to be seeing anything worse like it, or to keep your kids from ever having to fight any more wars like it, you have to stop supporting the policies AND the politicians that cause wars like Iraq and Afghanistan to be waged. But, judging by your responses to myself. Me, and also most likely We, you don't seem to give a shit so long as your 'peace' of mind about this event is not disrupted by an alternate point of view-thus, the same shit goes on and on all the time, and nothing changes.
If you TRULY respected your grandfather's sacrifices, you'd be against these wars we have now, and be wearing said white poppies, as well as being disdainful of any of these conflicts. But, all I see is yet another neocon stooge/reader of The Toronto Sun looking to uphold patriotic orthodoxy and unwilling to extricate themselves from established dogma about Remembrance Day.