It seems fitting that my last column to be written as editor of the Northern View comes out on Remembrance Day because, out of all of the holidays we celebrate here in Canada, Remembrance Day must be at or near the top when it comes to importance.
In this day and age, with so many distractions and technology keeping people linked together with the press of a button, it could be easy for people to take what we have for granted.
That is even more true as one generation gives way to another and as the few people remaining who have served in the great world wars pass away.
Time is a finicky thing and with attention spans becoming shorter and shorter, the importance of Remembrance Day and the sacrifices of the men and women who served our country become more and more of an afterthought for many.
But this simply cannot be allowed to happen. The younger crowd needs to know the atrocities of war and what our veterans had to do to endure in the name of Canada.
After all, those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.
With that being said, it is my hope that the Cenotaph in front of the courthouse is once again packed with people of all ages coming out to pay their respects. It only takes a few minutes from your day, but those minutes are very significant and meaningful.
It is my hope that those with parents, grandparents or even great grandparents who served overseas, take time to talk to youth about what they did and why they did it. Even if they don’t take it to heart, it’s keeping the past and the efforts of those who are no longer alive after serving in the great wars very much alive.
But above all, it is my hope that by sharing and remembering the past, people can learn from it and avoid similar conflicts in the future.
Lest we forget...