Students honour fallen soldiers at Beechwood Cemetery

A solemn ceremony was held at Beechwood Cemetery in preparation for Remembrance Day. Grades 5 and 6 students from École élémentaire catholique Saint-François-d'Assise paid their respects by placing poppies on the headstones of fallen soldiers. 

Meryn Nicol, a Grade 5 student, expressed the significance of the occasion, "They sacrificed their life to let us live."

This marks the seventh annual "No Stone Left Alone" ceremony, days ahead of Remembrance Day. Beechwood Cemetery, home to the National Military Cemetery, serves as a reminder of the soldiers who fought for Canada during the World Wars.

The young participants were moved by the opportunity to honor these soldiers with poppy tributes.

"I really love seeing all these people being very honoured," Meryn said. "And they should be honoured because they fought for our country and they deserve this."

Danielle McCarthy, Principal of Saint-François-d'Assise, highlighted the significance of the event, especially for the younger generation.

"We are really far away from war. And this is kind of like a remembrance for them that yes, there are people that did go out there. And thanks to them, we have the country that we know today," McCarthy said.

This ceremony is one of over 180 events held in six countries this year. 

Nick McCarthy, director of communications at Beechwood Cemetery, emphasized the simplicity and power of placing a poppy on a military headstone.

"It's as simple as placing a poppy on a military headstone so that we're not forgetting the service of the member, the service of the veteran, as well as the service of the family," McCarthy said. "So you can imagine families coming here on Remembrance Day. Every one of their loved ones already has a poppy at their headstone. So it's very much an act of this remembrance."

The students, in their own words, underlined the importance of honouring Canada's fallen military. 

Grade 5 student Samson Frappier said, "Remembering all the people that fought for us."

Livia Nicholson, also in Grade 5, emphasized the sacrifices made by soldiers, saying, "They sacrificed their lives so we could live and have a good country."

This ceremony, along with the Veterans and War Dead section at Beechwood, ensures that the sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten.

“I love to bring the kids here, just so that they can be part of something that happened way, way, way before they were born," said Danielle McCarthy.