The City of Oshawa will pay tribute to:
- Stewart Bray
- Thomas “Harry” Dyas
- Albert Suddard
- Davey Thompson
The four street names will be used in future subdivisions yet to be identified in Oshawa.
In 2003, City Council adopted a Street Naming Policy to honour the memory of men and women from Oshawa who served in war or peacekeeping assignments, as part of Canada’s military, by the naming of new streets. This brings the total number of local heroes who have been honoured with street names in Oshawa’s subdivisions, to 84.
“Our honourees are proud community members who share a love for their country and have continued to give back long after their service has ended,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “When we see a City street marked with a poppy, it reminds us that as we go about our daily lives, on November 11, and every day, to remember our veterans and say thank you to those who are serving our country.”
Lest We Forget – the ceremonies
Communities across Durham are planning Remembrance Day ceremonies and are asking residents to participate virtually from the comfort of their homes.
This year, marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, a moment of silence will be observed to honor all who have fallen and acknowledge those who have served for our freedom.
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter has invited community members to watch Oshawa’s virtual 2020 Remembrance Day ceremony on Wednesday November 11 at 10:30 am by tuning in to the live broadcast www.RogersTV.com/Durham from their computers or mobile devices. Alternatively, viewers can watch on cable 10, 63 & HD510, Ignite TV HD508.
The ceremony in Oshawa will feature laying of the wreaths and remembrance ceremony.
It will not feature a parade or gathering in Memorial Park. In an effort to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, community members are asked not to travel to Memorial Park to attend the ceremony in person.
A statement from Oshawa said in addition to watching the ceremony, there are numerous ways the community can safely reflect, honour, and remember on November 11th including:
- Observe 2 minutes of silence at 11:00 am.
- Wear a poppy and support the Poppy Campaign
- Discover our local history:
Whitby says pay tribute virtually
The Town of Whitby is supporting its two local Legions: Brooklin Legion Branch 152 and Whitby Legion Branch 112.
It said while Remembrance Services will not be open to the public this year due to Covid-19, there are a number of ways residents can still pay tribute to veterans and active service members, by:
Tuning into a virtual ceremony on November 11:
- Watch the National Remembrance Day ceremony on CBC or on the Royal Canadian Legion’s Facebook page.
- View a livestream of the Canadian Armed Forces Remembrance Day Ceremony at Intrepid Park.
Wearing a poppy or poppy-themed item:
- Purchase a face mask or poppy-themed item from the Royal Canadian Legion’s online store, poppystore.ca – proceeds support the Legion and Canada’s Veterans.
Take a moment to learn about a hero:
- When walking through downtown Whitby or Brooklin between now and November 12 be sure to look up. You will find photos and stories of local veterans and active service members displayed on eighty-one lampposts.
- The banners designed by local graphic designer Emma Inkpen were developed through a partnership between the Town of Whitby, Brooklin Legion Branch 152 and Whitby Legion Branch 112.
A more intimate Remembrance Day
The Municipality of Clarington is partnering with local Royal Canadian Legion Branch 178 to mark this year’s Remembrance Day in a different more intimate way.
Due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, and the rising infection numbers, there cannot be mass gatherings at cenotaphs and monuments to pay tribute to fallen Canadian soldiers. This year, the municipality will be live streaming the main Bowmanville Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 11 from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The live stream will be available through Clarington’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MunofClarington. Residents are incouraged to stay home and pay tribute to our fallen heroes virtually, adhering to all Public Health guidelines.
- Bowmanville – November 11, at 10:30 am. This ceremony will be available through a live stream online through Clarington’s Facebook page.
Why Poppy?
Each November, Poppies bloom on the lapels and collars of millions of Canadians. The significance of the poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, over 110 years before being adopted in Canada. Records from that time indicate how thick poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in the area of Flanders, France. Fields that had been barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended. During the tremendous bombardments of the war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing the “popaver rhoeas” to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and the poppy began to disappear again.
The person who first introduced the poppy to Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War. John McCrae penned the Poem “In Flanders Fields” on a scrap of paper in May, 1915 on the day following the death of a fellow soldier. Little did he know then that those 13 lines would become enshrined in the hearts and minds of all who would wear them. McCrae’s poem was published in Punch Magazine in December of that same year, and the poem later served as inspiration three years later for Moina Michael, an American teacher. Moina Michael made a pledge to always wear a poppy as a sign of Remembrance.
During a visit to the United States in 1920, a French woman named Madame Guerin learned of the custom. Madame Guerin decided to make and sell poppies to raise money for children in war-torn areas of France. The Great War Veteran’s Association in Canada (our predecessor) officially adopted the poppy as its Flower of Remembrance on July 5, 1921.
Today, the poppy is worn each year during the Remembrance period to honour Canada’s Fallen. The Legion also encourages the wearing of a Poppy for the funeral of a Veteran and for any commemorative event honouring Fallen Veterans. It is not inappropriate to wear a Poppy during other times to commemorate Fallen Veterans and it is an individual choice to do so, as long as it’s worn appropriately.
Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear the Legion’s lapel Poppy each November, the little red flower has never died, and the memories of those who fell in battle remain strong.
[History of the Poppy – courtesy The Legion]
YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO READ:
Beautiful that Oshawa is doing this but totally disgusted that Ajax has a street named after a German WWII vessel that claimed so many lives. Perhaps they weren’t just Canadian lives?