Canada Remembers

#MemorialMonday - The Valiants Memorial in Ottawa honours 16 prominent individuals from our country’s military heritage. This memorial was dedicated in 2006 and includes nine bronze busts and five larger statues. It depicts people who played a notable role in important military events in Canada’s history from the 1500s to the 20th century. #CanadaRemembers www.canada.ca//servi/art-monuments/monuments/valiants.html Photo: Government of Canada

#DYK a young man from Prince Edward Island was a spy in occupied Europe during the Second World War? The British secret service recruited Clifton Stewart because of his knack for electronics. Stewart trained and worked in North America before going on top secret missions in occupied Europe. The spy from P.E.I. was dropped behind enemy lines with a team of agents and a coding machine to set up radio communications. After gathering information and sending messages, they would then fly back to safety. #CanadaRemembers http://ow.ly/JZou50D3NXP Photo courtesy of the Stewart Family.

Canadians of all ages volunteer countless hours every year to improve the well-being of our Veterans. Those who may be eligible can receive a Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation. Theresa Lynn Orser received hers in 2016 for her years of volunteer work in many different initiatives positively impacting Veterans. She is very involved with the Royal Canadian Legion and helped create a wellness clinic for homeless Veterans with Cockrell House. Know someone like Theresa Ly...nn? Nominate them: http://ow.ly/wacn50CsteD #CanadaRemembers https://www.veterans.gc.ca//department-officials/minister/

In early January 1943, groups of Canadian soldiers began arriving in North Africa to fight alongside British forces there during the Second World War. To give some members of the Canadian Army an opportunity to gain battlefield experience, they were deployed with British forces on the front lines. As part of this initiative, nearly 350 Canadian soldiers served with forward units in the British First Army in Tunisia in 1943. www.veterans.gc.ca//r/wars-and-conflicts/second-world-war/ #CanadaRemembers Pictured are Canadian dispatch riders in Tunisia in July 1943. Photo: Library and Archives Canada

The Royal Canadian Air Force Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Memorial honours more than 19,250 fallen air force members. http://ow.ly/kf6150CJ9YP More than 130,000 air force members from around the world trained in Canada during the Second World War. Brandon, Manitoba, was the site of one of these training bases and this facility is now the home of the Royal Canadian Air Force Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Memorial. Unveiled on 10 September 2014, the memorial features the names of the 19,256 service members who lost their lives. Their names are etched on an impressive 100-metre long wall of black granite. The monument also features a 2.5 metre tall bronze airman and a large expanse of decorative paving stones. Submitted photo.

Valentines for Vets is back! Make special valentines to show your appreciation for those who have served our country in times of war, military conflict and peace. Each year, we invite schools, individuals and organizations to make valentines for Veterans in long-term care facilities. We encourage you to also share photos of your creations on social media using: #CanadaRemembers www.veterans.gc.ca//reme/classroom/valentines-for-veterans

The holidays are a time of giving back to the community. While that may look different this year, you can contribute to your community through remembrance. Youth are encouraged to write and send holiday cheer cards to Veterans and still-serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces to show their appreciation to those who have served and continue to serve our country. #CanadaRemembers http://ow.ly/yhXP50CJ9Jf

On 12 December 1939, the first members of the 1st Canadian Division sailed for England during the Second World War. http://ow.ly/Z1DH50CGLbt Canada officially entered the Second World War on 10 September 1939. Thousands rushed to enlist in the first few months of the conflict. Two weeks before Christmas, the first large group of Canadian soldiers left Halifax for the United Kingdom. They travelled in a large convoy accompanied by armed escort ships. The 1st Canadian Divisio...n trained in the United Kingdom until finally seeing action in Sicily in July 1943. Pictured are soldiers of the Toronto Scottish Regiment boarding the troop ship to go overseas in December 1939. As #CanadaRemembers the contribution of the 1st Canadian Division, try to imagine what it would be like sailing for England on the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean back then. Share your thoughts and reflections as we commemorate this important chapter in Canada’s military history. Photo: Imperial War Museum See more

On 18 November 1916, soldiers from the Canadian Corps captured Desire Trench, during the last Allied offensive of the Battle of the Somme. The Canadians had joined the Allied forces at the Battle of the Somme in September 1916 and saw heavy action over the following two months. After the capture of Desire Trench, the winter weather halted any further Allied attacks. Pictured are Canadian gunners on the Somme writing an early Christmas message for the Germans on one of their guns in November 1916. Photo: Library and Archives Canada #WorldWarWednesday #CanadaRemembers http://ow.ly/xJAI50CneZl

24 November 1944-HMCS Shawinigan was torpedoed off the East Coast during the Second World War and all 91 crew members on board died. HMCS Shawinigan was sunk after escorting the passenger ferry SS Burgeo on its run between Cape Breton and Newfoundland. It was the last ship to be lost in the Battle of the St. Lawrence. Joseph Bertrand Alphonse Benoit (pictured in upper right) was one of the 91 crew that were lost. #CanadaRemembers http://ow.ly/uOZ850CsIhd... Photo: Canadian War Museum See more

On 7 November 1914, the first Canadian Nursing Sisters arrived in France during the First World War. More than 2,800 Canadian women would serve during the First World War. These trailblazers would do vital work helping the sick and wounded, and they often served close to the front lines. #CanadaRemembers #YearofTheNurse http://ow.ly/KzAX50CmSdB Pictured are Nursing Sisters posing at the No. 2 Canadian General Hospital in France later in the war. Photo: Library and Archives Canada

#CanadaRemembers 35 years ago today on 12 December 1985, Canadian Armed Forces members responded to the deadliest ever plane crash on Canadian soil. http://ow.ly/eC0e50CGKPW A total of 248 American soldiers and eight crew members died in the crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285. The DC-8 jet went down shortly after take-off from Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. The American troops were on their way home after serving six months with the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission in Egypt. Canadian Armed Forces members helped in the emergency response and recovery efforts of this terrible disaster. Pictured is a sign along the stretch of highway near the crash scene that was renamed Remembrance Way last year. Submitted photo

The community of The Blue Mountains, Ontario, in partnership with The Blue Mountains Public Library, has developed an online database that will provide access to an archival collection of military history, showcasing local Veterans and their stories. We are proud to support this initiative through the Commemorative Partnership Program http://ow.ly/Zj3m50CIale #CanadaRemembers

23-25 November 1951-Soldiers of the Royal 22e Régiment saw heavy action near Hill 355 (aka Little Gibraltar‘’) during the Korean War. This battle saw 16 Canadians killed, 44 wounded and three taken prisoner, but they still managed to hold their ground. Many Canadian soldiers would see action around Little Gibraltar during the Korean War. Pictured is a Royal 22e Régiment mortar platoon near Hill 355 in November 1951. http://ow.ly/HbIN50CsHlg ... #CanadaRemembers Photo: Library and Archives Canada See more

Today, seven recipients from Quebec were presented with the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for their vital volunteer work with the Veteran community. #CanadaRemembers Recipients: Sylvain Arbour Steeve Brown ... Warrant Officer Roland Cregheur Réjean Normand Derek Speirs Chief Warrant Officer Denis Tremblay Chief Warrant Officer Robert Trépanier Know someone like this? Nominate them! https://www.veterans.gc.ca//departme/minister/commendation See more

#CanadaRemembers-As Women’s History Month nears its end, we remember the members of the Women’s Institute in Canada during the Second World War. They did a great deal of volunteer work to support the Allied efforts during the conflict. www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/women The Women’s Institute was established nationally in Canada in 1919. During the Second World War, its members made great contributions on the home front, sewing quilts, bandages and c...lothing for the soldiers overseas. The Women’s Institute also had a Central War Charities Fund that raised millions of dollars and used their agricultural connections to help establish farm labour bureaus to encourage city women to help harvest crops. They also held canning clubs to preserve fruits and vegetables and published special cookbooks on how to make healthy meals during a time of wartime rationing. Pictured is a rationing sign in a Montréal shop window in 1943. #BecauseOfYou Photo: Library and Archives Canada See more

On 16 November 1941, almost 2,000 Canadian soldiers arrived in Hong Kong during the Second World War. Dubbed the ‘C’ Force, the Canadians crossed the Pacific Ocean aboard the SS Awatea, accompanied by HMCS Prince Robert. Three weeks later, the Japanese attacked Hong Kong as the Second World War spread to Asia and the Pacific. http://ow.ly/eUNP50ClOzF Pictured are Canadians on their ship, heading for Hong Kong. Join us as #CanadaRemembers this important contribution to our military history. Photo: Library and Archives Canada

#CanadaRemembers - #DYK a German secret agent landed on the coast of Quebec in November 1942 during the Second World War? http://ow.ly/194Z50CcFdW German submarines brought the war to Canada's shores during the Second World War. They did more than threaten Allied shipping, however. On 8 November 1942, German spy Werner von Janowski was put ashore by a u-boat near New-Carlisle on Québec's Gaspé Peninsula. His unusual behaviour was quickly noticed in rural Quebec, however, and the police soon arrested him on a train to Montréal. War posters (like the one pictured here) warned Canadians not to talk too freely in case an enemy spy might overhear. Image: Library and Archives Canada

Late November 1940-the first British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) graduates arrived in England during the Second World War. The BCATP was one of the first and most important contributions Canada would make to the Allied effort during the Second World War. Under a deal signed in 1939, Canada agreed to provide facilities and training for air forces from every part of the Commonwealth.Canada was ideally suited for this program because it was far from most of the active fighting, and had lots of wide-open spaces and good flying conditions. Pictured are Australian BCATP trainees making snowballs at an airbase in Ontario in November 1940. #CanadaRemembers - http://ow.ly/bQZd50CndXl Photo: Department of National Defence

Mary Riter Hamilton was Canada’s first unofficial female battlefield artist. This stamp reproduces her painting Trenches on the Somme (1919). Read her story: http://ow.ly/p27j50C4YTt

#CanadaRemembers-Educators, it’s not too late to order our updated 2020 Veterans’ Week learning resources for students of all ages! www.veterans.gc.ca//get-i/veterans-week/learning-resources These popular bilingual materials can help you teach about the many sacrifices and achievements of Canadian service members over the years. Visit our online ordering system and get your free class packs of the Take Time to Remember activity booklet (ages 5-7), as well as the Tales of Animals in War (ages 5-11) and Canada Remembers Times (ages 12-18) youth newspapers. Our Postcards for Peace, bookmarks and posters are also still available. Get yours today!

#CanadaRemembers - 15 November 1942-HMCS Saguenay was damaged in a collision with a merchant ship during the Second World War. http://ow.ly/dsro30riGEw Allied sailors had many things to worry about during the Battle of the Atlantic. The threat of enemy attack was a constant, and the harsh weather of the North Atlantic and the risks inherent in having large transport ships traveling close together in convoys was a recipe for accidents to happen. On 15 November 1942, the Royal... Canadian Navy destroyer HMCS Saguenay was escorting a convoy near Newfoundland when it collided with a freighter. The collision caused the warship’s depth charges to detonate, blowing off the ship’s stern. Remarkably, it did not sink and would later be repaired. Pictured are some Saguenay crew members examining their damaged ship. Photo: Library and Archives Canada See more

In 1942, Stanley Edwards participated in the Dieppe Raid where he was captured by German soldiers and became a Prisoner of war. He escaped on his second attempt, shortly before the end of the Second World War. Read more of his story and listen to his #FacesofFreedom podcast episode here: Apple podcast: http://ow.ly/qXJg50C4aCa Google podcast: http://ow.ly/KlXd50C4aC8 Spotify: http://ow.ly/6RW150C4aCb ... Android: http://ow.ly/GEaf50C4aC9 Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform to automatically receive new episodes! #CanadaRemembers Their faces tell the story explore our Faces of Freedom. See more

#CanadaRemembers-Educators, have your say! Please take a minute to complete the 2020 Veterans' Week learning materials online evaluation. http://ow.ly/QBI450CcE6N If you used our free, bilingual 2020 Veterans’ Week educational resources this fall, please take a moment to complete our quick and easy online evaluation form and let us know what you thought of them. Your feedback is always welcome and helps us continue to improve our products. Thanks for helping keep the torch of remembrance burning brightly in our youth!

21 November 1950 - 17 Canadian soldiers en route to service in the Korean War were killed in a train accident in British Columbia. Two trains collided at Canoe River, killing 17 members of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. The men had been on their way to Fort Lewis in Washington state to prepare for shipping out for service. Pictured is a battery of guns of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in action in Korea in June 1951. #CanadaRemembers http://ow.ly/F4eR50CndrP... Photo: Library and Archives Canada See more

20 November 1917-The Battle of Cambrai began in France; the Canadian Cavalry Corps and the Newfoundland Regiment would see action there. This First World War battle saw the first effective tank attack in history when some 380 of the massive armoured vehicles rolled onto the battlefield. It looked like this could be the long awaited breakthrough as the enemy’s defensive lines began to give way, but their momentum could not be maintained and the Germans held on. The Canadian Ca...valry Brigade and the Newfoundland Regiment fought with distinction here while serving with British formations. Pictured are Canadian cavalry soldiers of the Fort Garry Horse returning to the front in late November 1917. #CanadaRemembers Photo: Imperial War Museum http://ow.ly/bRnX50CnclB See more

#CanadaRemembers-15 November 1944-The Aircraft Detection Corps was disbanded in Canada during the Second World War. http://ow.ly/ApFQ50CcDM0 In the dark, early days of the Second World War, concerns of an enemy attack here in Canada were real. As one way to guard against this threat, civilians were recruited to be part of the Aircraft Detection Corps and watch the skies for enemy aircraft. Thousands of people, many of them teenagers, volunteered to be part of the corps before it was disbanded in late 1944 after radar defences on the home front were greatly improved and the risk of enemy attack had subsided. Pictured is an Aircraft Detection Corps volunteer, binoculars at the ready, feeding her chickens in June 1943. Photo: Library and Archives Canada

#CanadaRemembers - These nine deserving Canadians have received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for their remarkable volunteerism. The Commendation is given annually to Canadians who go above and beyond in performing a range of work related to the care and well-being of Veterans, or to the remembrance of their sacrifices. If you know someone who selflessly gives back to the Veteran community, we would like to hear all about them! http://ow.ly/Ex7u50C39TI Reci...pients: Master Corporal Giselle Drew Richard William Hessler Donald Matthews Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) James R. Popplow CD, MD, MSc, FACPM Sheilah Lee Restall Edward Peter Salmon Jason Theodore Syverson Jason Earl Trenholm Captain John Wojcik See more

The overgrown trees at the St. Julien Canadian Memorial in Belgium are being replaced to restore the site’s integrity. More than 100 years later, this memorial stands as a fitting tribute to Canadians who died there during the Second Battle of Ypres in First World War. #CanadaRemembers http://ow.ly/6bZE50C2CeR

Is your organization looking to undertake a remembrance initiative to honour local Veterans? Our Commemorative Partnership Program can help. This year, we are marking a variety of significant commemorative milestones. Organizations seeking funding for initiatives related to these anniversaries are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. Learn more or apply for funding. http://ow.ly/sogY50C1qeZ ... Together, we can work to share the stories of brave Canadians in their communities. #CanadaRemembers See more

#CanadaRemembers- Listen to Veteran Rosemond Greer share her reflections on being a member of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service during the Second World War. http://ow.ly/MW4x50C1eUy Rosemond Mildred Greer was born in Vancouver in 1924. She joined the military during the Second World War and would serve as a secretary with Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service in Halifax during the conflict. In this clip, Ms. Greer describes some of her experiences during basic training and how the new women recruits came together in the face of the challenges they overcame.

Have you subscribed to our Faces of Freedom podcast yet? You can now listen on your preferred podcast platform. Two new episodes drop this week in honor of Veterans’ Week. Hear from Veterans who served in the Second World War and discover what the 75th anniversary of the end of the war means to them and others today. Apple podcast: http://ow.ly/7y3G50BXUwQ Google podcast: http://ow.ly/VnYy50BXUu Spotify: http://ow.ly/VWKI50C0Vjy ... Android: http://ow.ly/hM1d50BXUyR #canadaremembers #FacesofFreedom

#CanadaRemembers -24 October 1944-Operation Vitality began in the Netherlands during the Second World War's Battle of the Scheldt. http://ow.ly/nyIa50C1dZU Canadians played a leading role in the battle, fought in Belgium and the Netherlands during the fall of 1944. It was a bitter struggle. Our soldiers pushed back the German troops who were occupying the coasts of the Scheldt estuary to give Allied ships access to the recently liberated port of Antwerp. Operation Vitality, ...the third phase of the battle, resulted in the capture of South Beveland. Pictured is a Canadian Sherman tank near the Beveland Canal in late October 1944. Photo: Library and Archives Canada See more

#CanadaRemembers-Veterans’ Week 2020 runs from 5-11 November and its theme this year is the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. How will you remember? http://ow.ly/E4bM50C1dAp The Second World War was a pivotal chapter in the history of our country and had many important impacts that are still with us today. This Veterans’ Week we will highlight the impressive service and great sacrifice of Canadians during this deadly conflict. Check out our Veterans’ Week ...2020 web feature and get involved. 75 years later, we will remember. Pictured are children in Toronto in August 1945 reading the good news that the Second World War was finally over. Photo: City of Toronto Archives See more

#CanadaRemembers-This Friday is the deadline to request our free 2020 Veterans’ Week learning resources to be assured of receiving them before Remembrance Day. Order today! Veterans Affairs Canada is offering free, bilingual Veterans’ Week learning materials again this fall to help students learn more about the sacrifices and achievements made by Canadians in uniform. 2020 print editions are now in limited quantities. To receive your copies in time for Veterans’ Week, please order by 23 October 2020 (requests can still be placed after this date, but they are not guaranteed for delivery by Remembrance Day). http://ow.ly/GjNK50BYNg4