Remembrance Day in Canada.
Observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 and honor the veterans of both World Wars.
Remembrance Day is commemorated on the 11th November each year, and marks the end of World War I in 1918. It may also be commonly known as Armistice Day.
The intention of the day is to remember the fallen on both sides in the 'Great war'.
In Canada, Remembrance Day is a public holiday and federal statutory holiday, as well as a statutory holiday in all three territories and in six of the ten provinces.
Why Remembrance Day is important
On Remembrance Day, Canadians pause to honour the men and women who have served, and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace. More than 2,300,000 Canadians have served and more than 118,000 made the ultimate sacrifice.
The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day. In the run up to Remembrance Day, replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion to provide assistance to veterans.
11th November marks the signing of the armistice (peace agreement) between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France.
The armistice took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning - the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month."
Did you know?
The last Canadian killed in action in World War I was Private George Lawrence Price of the Canadian Infantry (2nd Canadian Division) who was killed at Mons at 10.58 on 11 November, two minutes before the armistice. Officially, Price was the last Commonwealth soldier to be killed in World War One.
However, while this date is used to reflect the end of the whole war, it technically relates to the cease fire on the Western Front; fighting continued after 11th November in parts of the Ottoman Empire.
After the 'end' of the war in 1918, it didn't take long before the signing of the armistice was adopted as a suitable time and date for countries involved in the war to mark the sacrifice of their soldiers, with official remembrance services taking place in the UK and USA in 1919.
When did Remembrance Day become a stat holiday?
From 1921 to 1930, Armistice Day was held on the Monday of the week in which 11 November fell and Thanksgiving was held on the same day. In 1931 an act was adopted that said the day should be called Remembrance Day and be observed on 11th November.
Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. Some employers in those provinces may give employees Remembrance Day off work, but there is no legal obligation to do so.
On 1 March 2018, An Act to amend the Holidays Act (Remembrance Day) received royal assent making 11th November is a legal holiday throughout Canada.
However, the revised status does not mean that all employees will now automatically get a public holiday on Remembrance Day. In Canada, the individual provinces and territories decide which days are public holidays for the majority of employees. The federal government cannot force the provinces to make Remembrance Day a paid day off for employees.
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Elena S.Popescu 11/9/2018 |
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