ESTEVAN — Students from St. Mary's and Spruce Ridge Schools gathered at the Estevan City Cemetery Monday morning to partake in the annual No Stone Left Alone remembrance ceremony, commemorating all local men and women who served Canada during different wars and military operations.
Estevan ceremony organizer Elyse Mantei, whose father John Wilkinson spent 40 years in the Canadian military, opened the event and spoke about No Stone Left Alone.
"It's a program that started in 2011. It was brought into Canada to help bring awareness for veterans," said Mantei. "Remembrance Day was being forgotten a little bit, so this program was brought in to bring awareness back about Remembrance Day and the veterans that fought for us in the war, and the military and the RCMP and all those who are still serving as of now.
"I brought it to Estevan because my dad is actually the one who started it in Saskatchewan. I'm a military brat. My dad was in the military for 40 years, he retired seven years ago and now he is a civilian working for the military. So, this program means a lot to me and it means a lot to me that you guys are here," Mantei added.
The introduction was followed by O Canada, and then South East Military Museum founder Craig Bird continued by talking to the students about Remembrance Day and local veterans who served at different times.
"Last year, we had a big milestone anniversary of Operation Jubilee, you probably know it as the Dieppe Raid. A lot of members from this area, the southeast, took part in that campaign, and a lot of members from the South Saskatchewan Regiment lost their lives in that raid. That was in 1942.
"This year marks a couple of anniversaries. This year is the 75th anniversary of Canada taking part in peacekeeping missions. The United Nations asked Canada to go into [operations] like the Gulf War or to Cyprus in 1948, and some of those missions are continuing on today. So it's the 75th anniversary and we are remembering all of those that serve as peacekeepers. And again, a lot of peacekeepers over the course of those 75 years also lost their lives.
"Some of you guys might know about the Korean War ... From 1950 to 1953, the Korean War took place. Thousands of Canadians went overseas in 1953. This year is the anniversary of the armistice that was signed to end the Korean War. That's 70 years … [During that mission] 516 Canadians lost their lives; 42 of them were from Saskatchewan. So, this Remembrance Day, we are remembering those peacekeepers who lost their lives, trying to keep the peace for Canada, and the 42 peacekeepers from Saskatchewan who lost their lives during the Korean War.
"And next year, we have another big anniversary – D-Day. The year 1944 was the big turning point of the Second World War and the largest amphibious landing that the world has seen. Then in 2025, we have the [80th] anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
"So, in the next few years, we have a lot of things to remember and be thankful for. And one of them is remembering all of those that lost their lives during these battles, and in the service of Canada," Bird said in his address to the students.
The students then read several poems including In Flanders' Field, One Thousand Men Are Walking and The Ode of Remembrance. Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig and one of the students laid a No Stone Left Alone wreath, which was followed by The Last Post, two minutes of silence and Reveille.
Students then were invited to place poppies on the headstones of fallen soldiers at different locations in the cemetery, in this manner making sure that no veterans are forgotten.
"This personal act signals respect and gratitude for our fallen military veterans while honouring living veterans, serving members and their families," said the event organizers in a press release.
The Estevan ceremony was one of about 180 occurring in six countries this year, with the majority taking place prior to Remembrance Day.
Founded in 2011, the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation is dedicated to engaging youths in an ongoing act of remembrance for Canada's veterans. The unique ceremony provides students and youth with an authentic experience that creates knowledge, understanding and appreciation of those who serve, and of the sacrifice of Canada's fallen.
