Note: I meant to say in the following Blog that the day of course should be given off to all veterans. In addition, I am now more convinced than ever that a general holiday is a big mistake. I say this because I learned today that the big Unions of Quebec take the long weekend as their remembrance so today – Monday the 10th of November - is a holiday for them. How disrespectful but then again, the Ontario Teachers did something similar as per below.
No.
Rather it should be a time of Remembrance… not party time.
Some of you will know that I once worked for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. I vividly recall our first Remembrance Day then and still a holiday for federal employees.
The staff was called together the day before and it went something like this:
“Given that tomorrow is November 11th, wouldn’t it be nice if we all met at the office at 10 am tomorrow and then walk down to the War Memorial together.”
There were over 20 staffers present and the suggestion was met with dead silence. Obviously they had no intention of spending 11 am in remembrance, despite the fact that for the rest of the year, they worked directly on behalf of Canada’s veterans.
Ontario teachers have shown that they too hold Remembrance Day in questionable regard. Once upon a time Schools here had November 11th off but teachers, in their wisdom, traded the day for more time off at Christmas.
So no, I am not in favour of a day off and I would even be inclined to rescind the holiday for Canadian government employees.
Rather, I would like to see the tradition begin to have all commercial enterprises closed between the hours of 11 am and noon. And that everyone come to a stop for two minutes at the strike of 11.
Someone suggested earlier today that the two minutes silence be concluded with the peeling of church bells across the country.
I like the idea since it would touch everyone alike – those who would go to services and those who would not.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
