Emotional Remembrance Videos

by Laura on October 22, 2010

This is a video that The Military Museums used to show to all the elementary students who came to the museum for Remembrance programs. It is incredibly effective in demonstrating the importance of Remembrance.

A Pittance of Time, by Terry Kelly

This is another extremely emotional video that is great to watch on or around Remembrance Day to  remind us what it is all about.  Supposedly the video was produced by an American, but the content is entirely Canadian. The video is focusing on the Canadian Highway of Heroes.

This final video is perhaps the most touching because it features a mother talking about losing her son in Afghanistan.

my european trip memories

by Jasmine on September 4, 2009

I loved going on this trip!!! The sights the people the countriesthe places were all amazing!!!!!
Belgium was/is my favorite country in europe so far.
My fondest memories are the lemon eating contest , going to the museums and learning as much as i could possibly fit onto my head!
I cant believe this actually happend to me.
I am now truly addicted to mayo and fritz.(in a good way)
I really enjoyed the expirence. I miss everyone and the places we went to and the things we did.
Here are some of my fave. photos . . . . .

WOW.

by Sydney on September 3, 2009

You know the feeling when you just know when something was meant to be.  Well the days leading up to and on the trip were sure like that.  The things I saw and the knowledge I gained are far more than I would of ever expected.  Don’t get me wrong I never for one moment thought it would be dull or anything… I was so so thrilled.  But being there and experiencing it all was just… WOW.  It’s funny because people ask how it went and that’s all I can say… WOW.  I just don’t know how to describe that kind of experience without undermining it.  But even if I did do that greatest job it still wouldn’t be enough because as far as I know seeing and just being where those soldiers killed and were killed made my appreciation for what they did grow into something that just… WOW.

Now, being at Vimy Ridge, was that ever WOW.  Walking through the trenches and tunnels, it was like being thrown back in time, to 1917.  Those soldiers where nearly face to face with their enemy in trenches less than 40 yards apart and yet they never backed down.  The memorial commemorates that, that of more than 11,000 brave, relentless soldiers.  Being at all those battlegrounds where just as WOW;  Dieppe, Juno… they all were… WOW.   Though I do have to say, it definitely would not of been the same without the people I shared it with.  I had such a fun time with all of you and miss “hangin’ with my homeys!!”  I really hope we are able to get together sometime…  I miss you all so so much!!!!

Thanks so much Chris, Laura, David and the Military Museums!!!  And I will be putting my pictures up on the weekend.

P.S.  Chris and Laura,      I’m really sorry for your loss.  

My Recollection of Europe

by Curtis on August 31, 2009

What a great summer it has been. We have laughed, mourned, gained knowledge, shared it, and helped each other discover, not just facts, but gained a more rounded understanding of what really happened, and where. First-hand we saw and realized the significance of certain objectives during the wars, and visited the places where the costs were paid to complete these objectives. We visited sites of victory, loss, and used them to analyze why these atrocities occured, and what we learned to prevent history from repeating itself a third time. We learned of the lifestyles the people who, at the time, faced as they were living in a war-torn continent. As we travelled through North-western Europe, we had a great guide and two chaperones who were very knowledgeable in the area of peacekeeping done by Canada as well as the Allied countries during both World Wars.

As the trip was about Canada’s role in past, present, and future conflicts, we visited a great number of memorials, cemetaries, museums, and attended various ceremonies, such as the Menin Gate procession held daily. It really is amazing just how much people have done so much to remember soldiers’ sacrifices. There’s a huge difference from just looking at a picture of a certain highlight then actually being there in person. The effort the people put into the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge, for example, have preserved the monument for years and I’m sure it will be as astounding as it was for us for generations to come. Pictures cannot describe the feelings we shared as we walked through the German Langemark cemetary, as well as the Commonwealth Tyne Cot cemetary.

But besides the seriousness of some of the places we visited, we also had a great time exploring the cities and villages we passed through, and hanging out with each other, either playing hackey sack beside the Calais memorial, or just walking through the streets of Middelburg. A lot of the time we were very rushed to get things done and had to be quick in order to get to our destinations on time (such as running through the Heathrow Airport in London to catch our flight to Belgium), and some days were longer than others, stopping at one site, getting back on the tour bus, and then to a new site, etc.

The places that we visited that affected me the most would probably have to be Dieppe (let’s never get the pasta there again), navigating the trenches at Sanctuary Wood, and really the amount and size of the Wars’ grave sites. Running up the beach at Dieppe even without hundred-pound packs was tiring enough.

Overall, this experience has given me perspective and a newfound respect for our country’s military and the operations that gave Canada it’s reputation it has today. We have learned so much, and I’m sure it will be very useful to us in the future. Thank you Chris, Laura, David, the Military Museums, and everyone else who have taken their time to put together this, as Chris and Laura said, a “once in a lifetime experience” and we really appreciate the effort and time put in for us students. I will never forget this and I hope we can have a get-together sometime in the future, if possible.

Photos, photos, photos!

by Chris on July 28, 2009

 
You can’t escape the lens! Syd, Jasmine, and Laura get their photo on.

 

Who says size doesn’t matter? Our tour bus dwarfs the locals.

Strutting through Paris. Bhuvana, Jordan, and Laura demonstrate their model walks.
_____________________
I have finally had some time to sort, edit and upload some more of the trip photos. Head on over to my Flickr account for the complete set. I will be adding more in the next few days.

Cheers,
Chris

Kids Without Cares Rap

by Sydney on July 15, 2009

LYRICS

Now this is a story all about how

Their life got turned right upside down

I’d like to take a minute, just sit right down

And tell you how this love came down to town.

****

In Calgary, AB born and raised

In the museum where she spent most of her days.

Working all out, teaching all cool

Making a contest for all the school.

****

Then a guy named Chris was up to no good,

Started making trouble in her neighborhood.

After seeing those eyebrows, her mom got scared,

“You would not dare to have such an affair.”

****

She went for it anyway, took the risk,

Got the ring, got the kiss.

They waited for the bus and when it came near,

His thoughts about children was now a fear.

****

They started this contest in 2008

Bringin’ Chris and Laura to an unfortunate fate.

His fear of kids grew more and more,

Looking after us was much a chore.

****

Now we look at out kingdom,

We’re almost there

To take up our thrown

As the kids without cares.

****

**The video wouldn’t work because it said it was too big.  If anyone knows how to fix the problem please tell me )**

Quick post-trip update

by Chris on

 

Hi all,

I know several of you were hoping for more updates during the trip, but with the long days and limited internet access, it just didn’t happen. It can be a pretty daunting task to write a post when it’s 11pm and you’ve been going since 7am.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that there will still be new content to see here. Between Laura and I (never mind the students), we have hundreds of photos, a few anecdotes, and a lot of information about the military sites we visited. We’ll be putting some more of that stuff up as we are able. Also, I’m pretty sure that someone will be posting a rap video, shot on location in the Montreal Airport.

Cheers,
Chris

p.s. – A few more pics are up here, with many more to follow.

Day 4

by Chris on July 4, 2009

8:10 am – Ypres, Belgium

Hi all,

I’m running out of time and battery power, but thought I’d post a quick update to let everyone know that we’re all alive and fine. I’m writing this from Ypres. We saw several cemeteries and memorials yesterday and had a chance to witness the Menin Gate ceremony last night. Today we are off to Langemark German cemetery, Flander’s Fields Museum, Tyne Cot, Hil 62 and Passchendale. Should be a bit hectic, but we’ll manage. 

Breakfast awaits. Check back soon.

Cheers,
Chris

Day 1

by Chris on July 3, 2009

Day 1, 4:30 am GMT

I’m sitting comfortably at 36,000 feet, cruising at 588 miles per hour. As I write this the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone lies far below us, under the icy water of the North Atlantic. It’s the only landmark displayed on the in-flight screen in front of me. Apparently the open expanse of the Atlantic is a bit devoid of recognizable landmarks. We’re flying on a Boeing 777–the big one with 9 people across each row. 

We have been watching movies, talking (a lot) and playing cards for the past few hours, but the travel is taking it’s toll, and I appear to be the only one left awake. Which is probably for the best considering when we land in Brussels it will be 10 am and we’ll be immediately getting into the van and getting on the highway. I played a few hands of “Cheat” myself, but they skunked me. Good thing we weren’t playing for Euros (or passports). The students are getting along really well, which is awesome for us to see.

Thought I’d share a few quick photos.

 

 

Due to the sporadic internet access (No internet at cruising altitude? Imagine that!), these blog posts will necessarily be a bit behind our actual progress. No Twitter feeds here. 

 

Day 1, 11 am GMT

We ran. We swirved. We pushed through the crowd, with many an “excuse me,” and an “I’m sorry, we’re running late!” We went through endless Heathrow hallways, each looking more like the last, than the last. We went up and down escalators, stairways, around corners. We passed business travelers, families with suitcases in tow, backpackers, and airport staff. They ate our dust, as we careened through the labyrinthine corridors of one of the largest airports in the world. 

And despite it all, we missed our flight to Brussels. By about 15 minutes. 

So now we sit. And wait. Only about three hours behind schedule, but at least we had

 a chance to get a decent meal. The worst part of the whole ordeal was seeing Jasmine trip and sprawl at full sprint. My heart sank as she went down, but bam! she was up again and going without even a wimper. She’s a trooper.  

 

Check in again soon. We’re going to Brussels, a bit late, but feeling good. And we still have all six students! (kidding, kidding)

Cheers,
Chris

Canada Day!

by Bhuvana on July 1, 2009

…in which the birth of a nation is celebrated!

So today is July 1, 2009, which is exactly 142 years after the events of July 1, 1867, when the BNA (British North America) Act united the lands that now form Canada as “one dominion under the name of Canada”. In October 1982, an act of Parliament renamed the holiday from “Dominion Day” to Canada Day, due to the popular shift in policy in more contemporary governments to project Canada as an independent (and sovereign) entity in itself rather than as a past colonial property. Today, it is a national holiday for almost everyone, except emergency services workers and certain other people who are important to the functioning of society, such as the people who work in stores that sell electronics and other snazzy things. Basically, it reminds us of how awesome the country is. So – Happy Canada Day, everyone!

P.S. This is my personal greeting to Canada:

“Dear Canada,

Happy Birthday! You are now 142 years old, which makes you old and wrinkly, and explains all those wrinkly-looking trees that dot your landscape.

Sincerely,

Bhuvana”

P.P.S. References!

The image is from http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/basketball/nba/blog/2008/07/ , and the information is mostly from http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/canadaday.htm