By C. Haag (FSWC Educator)

At 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, the guns of the First World War fell silent. The armistice signed that morning in a railway car in Compiègne, France, ended four years of fighting that involved more than 60 million soldiers worldwide and cost more than 66,000 Canadian lives.

One year later, people across the Commonwealth paused at that same hour for two minutes of silence. Streets grew still, factories stopped, and even radio stations went quiet. The idea was simple: a shared moment to remember those who served and never returned.

Remembrance Day began as Armistice Day in 1919 and became an official observance in Canada in 1931. Its symbol — the red poppy — came from Canadian doctor John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields, written after he saw poppies blooming on the graves of fallen soldiers in Belgium.

Today, Remembrance Day honours not only those who fought in the world wars but all Canadians who have served in Korea, Afghanistan, and peacekeeping missions around the globe. More than two million Canadians have worn the uniform, and more than 118,000 have lost their lives in service.

In Ottawa, the Peace Tower’s bells still ring 11 times at the start of the silence, linking today’s ceremonies with those first held more than a century ago.

For students, November 11 is more than a history lesson — it’s a chance to think about courage, loss and responsibility. Remembering helps us understand that peace is built, not given, and that freedom requires care and a readiness to act if necessary.