Humber Polytechnic North campus commemorated Remembrance Day, with students, staff and faculty reflecting on the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers on Monday.
The community paused for two minutes on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the moment in 1918 when the Great War, the war to end all wars, officially ended.
The Canadian War Museum reported more than 66,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders died in the First World War and more than 172,000 were wounded.
The museum said 45,000 died in the Second World War, with 55,000 wounded. Korea claimed 516 troops and Veterans Affairs Canada said 158 were killed in Afghanistan.
The day has a special meaning for Ann Marie Vaughan, Humber’s president, who has Canadian military veterans in her family.
"Remembrance Day is not just about remembering those who died but also about honouring those who continue to serve," Vaughan told about 200 people at the E Concourse.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to every Canadian who has answered the call, whether in times of war or peace," she said.
A Humber student played the lone trumpet during the ceremony. In Flanders Fields by John McCrae was also read.
Humber Lakeshore watched the Remembrance Day service from the North campus on screens, unlike previous years when it had its service.
Many students were touched by the event, including Zachery Lynch.
"It's important for us to remember not only the sacrifices made but also the lessons learned," he said. "Remembrance Day is a reminder of our common responsibility to work toward peace.
“It fills my heart with bravery remembering my grandfather who fought the war against Germany,” Lynch said. “My father told me how my grandfather left him to fight with the U.S. and never returned.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that it is everyone’s responsibility to remember and honour those who served.
"We honour the Canadians who have served and defended our country," Trudeau said. “We tell their stories of determination.”
Many staff members brought their children to the ceremony and stayed after the service to talk about what the day and the sacrifices made by soldiers meant to them.
