The Silver Cross Mothers Whose Stories Are of the Front Row, Wearing Her Sons’ War Service Medals

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca DWAC Mission At the Centre The Durham West Arts Centre exists to support, promote and present world-class, 905-492-2522 & 905-492-2533 contemporary arts and culture. Through education, presentation and www.dwac.ca partnership we will continue to develop awareness and engagement in the arts, [email protected] increase our audience and membership, be sustainable and champion the intrinsic [email protected] need of arts and culture to our community.

What’s New? Coming Up . . . facility and help educate the community and promote Durham Region artists to the world. A Message from Andrew Hamilton, Reading and Remembrance 2009: Exec. Director of the Durham West Arts Centre We will foster and nurture artists of this region, Medals and Memories attracting people from within Durham and New Website Next on our agenda is our Reading and beyond while preserving Durham's artistic and for DWAC Remembrance initiative. Reading and Remembrance cultural heritage. DWAC advocates for all of the Durham West Arts provides educators in Durham and beyond with arts from writers to dance to theatre to visual Centre is pleased to tools to promote literacy and to the tell the arts and is committed to facilitating a perma- announce the launch story of Canada's compelling efforts in past wars nent community venue that will also provide a of our new website. and share the message of peace and remem- place for artists to exhibit, perform, practice, The website is easier brance for the men and women who died and teach, learn and come together. We want to to navigate, more risked their lives for this country. make Durham Region an arts destination. dynamic, showcases This initiative is so important and relevant for We are beyond borders and are interested in the all of our upcoming us today as our story of remembrance continues public at large, providing not only services to events and highlights with our efforts and losses in Afghanistan. In local artists but the broader community as well. our partnerships. The times of trials and tribulations, some of the For more information about DWAC and its website also features greatest works of art are born. For instance, In vision, visit Andrew Hamilton, our new Art Beat blog Flanders Fields, is one of the most poignant http://dwac.ca/forms/VisionDocument.pdf that promotes public poems of ever written. Please visit www.dwac.ca To that end, we're looking for dedicated individ- and partner events in and throughout the for more information and to get involved in uals to volunteer their time to help build our community. Reading and Remembrance. vision for the future here in Durham west. Please This is an opportunity for all of the artists and contact Andrew Hamilton at [email protected] arts organizations to submit their events for Art in Public Spaces for more information. additional exposure. We are also looking for Beyond the Box In a nutshell: DWAC is a fundraising organiza- artist submissions for our Cyber Gallery. The Durham West Arts Centre is pleased to tion created to raise interest and money to build a Cyber Gallery is open 24–7 and is accessible announce the formation of our Beyond the Box permanent Arts Centre that will house and show- around the world, showcasing and highlighting project. case all the arts disciplines in our community and the artists and artwork from Durham Region We're bringing art to the public by showcasing beyond. bringing the art of Durham to the world and art work throughout the community outside of About PRAC Cathy says: bringing the world to the artists of Durham. the traditional gallery setting. Durham West I can’t believe I am still hearing questions like – We are working on making the website more Arts Centre is embracing this modern idea not • Are PRAC and DWAC two organizations that interactive and engaging. Stay tuned. only in the community but in cyberspace. do the same thing – and if so – why do we need Exposure is key to art sales and we are excited two? First Durham West Studio Tour about providing the opportunity for artists to • Do PRAC and DWAC even like each other – or Durham West Arts Centre is encouraged and further advance their careers through this are they in competition? appreciative of the support from the artists and avenue. When I hear these things I am gobsmacked! The the public for the Centre’s first-ever Durham We are actively seeking artists to participate in PineRidge Arts Council, which has been working West Studio Tour which was held the weekend this project. Artists who have questions or are in this community since 1989 is there to sup- of October 3 and 4. Below are some of the partic- interested in taking part can e-mail Andrew port, promote and publicise its members. We do ipating artists in our 2009 Tour: Hamilton at [email protected] this through our website, ArtScene, our Juried Edward Falkenberg, Sculptor Art Show, Artfest on the Esplanade, our Annual Karen Falkenberg, Call for Instructors General Meeting, our Art in Public Places initia- Painter Durham West Arts Centre is seeking artists with tives and through other donations and sponsor- ships to our members. We are not a fund-raising Marc Barrie, Nature teaching backgrounds in all media to lead vari- group. We do raise a little money each year at Artist ous workshops and courses throughout the region. our Annual General Meeting’s Silent Auction – Norman Brown, but this goes to cover our expenses (see the front We are looking for people to teach in public Landscape artist page of ArtScene). Deanna Jones, Potter schools and high schools and in other venues. Oil, watercolour and acrylic painters, sculptors, Our mandate is to give any extra money back to Heather Rigby, Multi- photographers and jewelry artists are needed. the artists in our community. We are a totally media volunteer-administrated organization with no For more information please contact executive Gay Liddell, Potter paid staff nor large overhead expenses. director Andrew Hamilton at: Whitevale Craftworks, [email protected] for more information. We were thrilled when DWAC was established, Weaving because what better way to support our artists Gordon Wilson, Sculptor than to have a place for them to display and per- Carmel Brennan, form their talents. That being the case, we have Photography You Asked . . . not only supported DWAC through volunteer hours and expertise – but also financially. We Gerd Untermann, Sculptor Edward Falkenberg What’s the Difference between were the first to donate seed money to DWAC Sculptor DWAC and PRAC? when they were starting up and have continued Fly Freeman, Sculptor Even though the Durham West Arts Centre has to help them financially with their overhead. Francis Muscat, Sculptor been in operation since 2004, we are still getting And why do we do this? Because we believe in Christl Niemuller, Mixed media questions about the roles DWAC and PRAC play what they are trying to achieve and can’t wait Geordie Lishman, Sculptor in our community. In this submission, I'd like to for it to happen. take some time to explain Durham West Arts Yvonne Meissner, Painter In a nutshell: PRAC is not a fund-raising organi- Centre’s mission and vision and Cathy Laura Warburton, Painter zation, but a volunteer non-profit organization Schnippering will attempt to talk to you about whose sole purpose is to support and promote its Allan O’Marra, Painter PRAC’s mandate. members by developing a widespread appreciation Andrew Hamilton, Painter About DWAC Andrew says: and involvement in all arts disciplines. Audrey Morgan, Jeweller DWAC’s role is to facilitate the construction of a So remember, PRAC and DWAC have a deep lik- Robert Hinves, Painter performing and visual arts centre and to provide ing and respect for each other, we work closely We were encouraged by the response and we the programming and infrastructure that will together, believe in the same goals – and we can look forward to seeing you again next year. entail. DWAC’s role is to bring the arts of the never, never have too many advocates working world to Durham Region in a state-of-the-art for the arts! ✑ 13

w w w . p i n e r i d g e a r t s . o r g

DWAC Mission At the Centre The Durham West Arts Centre exists to support, promote and present world-class, 905-492-2522 & 905-492-2533 contemporary arts and culture. Through education, presentation and www.dwac.ca partnership we will continue to develop awareness and engagement in the arts, [email protected] increase our audience and membership, be sustainable and champion the intrinsic [email protected] need of arts and culture to our community.

What’s New? is embracing this modern idea not only in the community but in cyberspace. To that end, a cyber gallery A Message from Andrew Hamilton, will be part of our new website design coming soon. Exec. Director of the Durham West Arts Centre We are actively seeking artists to participate in this From seeing the marble project. Artists who have questions or are interested dust rising off a sculp- in taking part can e-mail Andrew Hamilton at ture being born to [email protected] smelling the turpentine in painters’ studios, the first month on the job Call for Instructors as Durham West Arts Durham West Arts Centre is seeking artists with Centre’s executive teaching backgrounds or experience in all media to director has me travel- lead various workshops and courses throughout the ling the region. I am region. We are looking for people to teach in public amazed by the array of schools and high schools and in various other venues. the talent in Durham Oil, watercolour and acrylic painters, sculptors, pho- West and beyond. In tographers and jewellery artists are needed. fact, it is world-class. From sculptors to painters to Please contact executive director Andrew Hamilton artisans to musicians and performing artists, Durham at [email protected] for more information. has a highly-creative core. Thank you for the warm welcome I’ve received from Become a Volunteer my colleagues, local artists and community members. Durham West Arts Centre is looking for dedicated The first month has been challenging and inspiring. volunteers to help with numerous events because vol- What seems to be coming across is an overriding ener- unteers are at the heart of any great organization. We gy and interest from artists and residents in embrac- are looking for passionate and dedicated individuals, ing a broader vision for the arts community in who would like to participate in fundraising, exhibi- Ongoing . . . Durham West. There is continued support for the tions, events, programming and administrative tasks. 100 Mile Farmers’ Market creation of a dynamic arts centre where these talent- This is a great opportunity to become part of a Through October 8 ed people can congregate, interact and share with the dynamic arts endeavor within your community. Thursdays from 3:00 to 7:00 pm community. Please contact executive director Andrew Hamilton We are excited to be a part of this undertaking. To at [email protected] for more information Pickering Recreation Complex, that end we are working on multiple arts projects to (east parking lot behind the arena) bring artists and the public together, as well as part- Reading and Remembrance 2009: 1867 Valley Farm Rd., Pickering nering with various other art organizations. We are Medals and Memories by DWAC Foundation Proj. Mgr. Erin Michel also launching Durham West Art Centre's first studio by Project Manager Angie Littlefield DWAC’s 100 Mile Farmers’ Market is still going tour on October 3 and 4, showcasing the works of strong! We run every Thursday, from 2pm – 7pm, in more than 20 local, regional and international artists. The provincial Reading and Remembrance Project, started by the Durham West Arts Centre in 2005, this the parking lot located behind the Pickering year features ready to use materials about the bravery Recreation Complex building, at 1867 Valley Farm Coming Up . . . and dedication of those who were awarded medals. Road. Our last market day for the 2009 season is Durham West Studio Tour The first two lessons on the website: Thursday, October 8. Thank you for your support so October 3rd and 4th ~ 10 am to 6 pm www.readingandremembrance.ca, highlight the far this season as we continue to grow and develop medals and memories of First Nations and Inuit this Farmers’ Market into a great destination for Come on the tour, meet the artists and members of Canada’s Armed Forces. Archived materi- Pickering! see their incredible work! als on the poem “In Flanders Fields”, Anti-Racism and This Studio Tour is being held on the first weekend Holocaust Education, Women in War and the Art of of October to capture some of Durham’s finest artists Dissent are available year round and make interesting and the incredible fall colours that await you in the reading for all ages at any time of the year. The story region. Come meet the artists, watch demonstrations of Ajax munitions worker Louise Johnson is part of and interact with local, regional and international Women and War. artists. You will see a wide range of art work includ- During its four year history, Reading and Remembrance ing sculptures, paintings, photography, pottery and reached approximately 100,000 school children in all mixed media. The Durham West Studio Tour is located corners of the province. Thanks to M.P. Mark in picturesque Claremont, Brougham, Greenwood, Holland, the 2009 lessons will be bilingual and hope- Pickering, Ajax and various other locales throughout fully will have an even greater reach into all commu- Durham West. nities. The Ontario Historical Society and the Durham Region seems to grow artists – so come Ontario Library Association join founding sponsor engage and interact with these artists who are work- Ontario Power Generation to promote the project. ing in our midst, interpreting and creating amongst The Pickering Central Library and DWAC continue us. Admission is free and all are welcome. as partners. Pick up a tour brochure with map included at any of Project Manager Angie Littlefield says, “We’ve always the artist’s studios and future locations to be stressed diversity so that all young people may see announced. Visit our website for the list of artists, themselves as part of what Remembrance Day repre- their locations, biographies and photographs. sents, but, this year we’re going even further. We’re Information will be updated weekly. including stories of modern day army, navy and air Any questions about the studio tour can be directed cadets who have earned medals. We want to show to Andrew Hamilton at [email protected] that the values that our veterans protected and our service people continue to protect are important parts Art in Public Spaces of every young person’s character education.” Beyond the Box Project Manager Mary Cook’s online sign up form Durham West Arts Centre is pleased to announce the may be used by parents and community groups as formation of our Beyond the Box project. well as by teachers and librarians. Everyone is wel- We're bringing art to the public by showcasing art come to participate. Mary also created a form for work throughout the community outside of the teachers and librarians to work with young people to research local medal recipients and submit a lesson traditional gallery setting. Durham West Arts Centre into the broader internet community. ✑ 13

w w w . p i n e r i d g e a r t s . o r g

Ontario History Society Takes the Lead

By Angie Littlefield, Project Manager

The Durham West Arts Centre (DWAC), a charitable arts organization in Durham Region, started the provincial project Reading and Remembrance, in the Year of the Veteran 2005. The goal, to have Ontario school children read In Flanders Fields at the same time on Remembrance Day, was supported with arts lessons, links and reading materials on the poem and its background. In four years the project reached approximately 100,000 children with a new theme and new materials each year: Anti-Racist and Holocaust Education 2006, Women and War 2007 and The Art of Dissent 2008.

The one-stop resource for educators supplies free ready-made lessons that emphasize literacy, history and character education. Partially bilingual in 2007, the project will be totally bilingual in 2009 thanks to Durham M.P. Mark Holland. Under the aegis of the Ontario Historical Society for a two year pilot, Reading and Remembrance hopes to grow from there, hopefully to a national project.

The Ontario Library Association, founding sponsor Ontario Power Generation and the Ontario Historical Society will use their networks to promote the 2009 theme Medals and Memories. To feature the project’s emphasis on diversity, the first 2009 lesson is on First Nations and Inuit contributions to Canadian identity in times of war and peace. The lesson starts with Joseph Brant and ends with the Arctic Rangers weaving together the past and the present so that young people see Remembrance Day as a day of discovery about veterans and themselves. Other 2009 materials feature the Victoria Cross, Royal Red Cross, Dickin Medal for animal heroes and awards for young cadets and rangers.

A new 2009 feature allows educators, librarians and school children to research local veterans and provide their stories to an electronic community of learners. “This feature provides a wonderful opportunity for our member societies to assist young people with research on a local level”, says John Sabean, Past Chair of the Durham West Arts Centre and currently Second Vice-President of the OHS.

The materials archived on the site www.readingandremembrance.ca are available year round. Teachers looking for stand-alone lessons for Civics, History, World Issues, Law, Character Education, Arts or English will find a ready resource to support the Ontario curricula.

For Immediate Release

Reading and Remembrance 2009: Medals and Memories is ready

Ten new lessons are on-line for the fourth edition of this provincial project for Remembrance Day. They join free archived materials on “In Flanders Fields”, Women and War, Holocaust and Anti-Racism Education and the Art of Dissent. Classes, schools or boards may sign up to be part of the Honour Roll that celebrates participation. Teachers are free to use the 2009 or any of the archived materials. The only requirement to register is to plan to read with young people on Remembrance Day. www.readingandremembrance.ca

Toronto—They are all medal recipients: The Inuit woman who serves in the Arctic Rangers, the pigeons that saved lives, the men from Canada and Allied countries who demonstrated extraordinary valour, Canada’s brave, long-serving First Nations soldiers, the young Cadets and Junior Rangers developing strong characters and the mothers who lost children. Their inspirational stories demonstrate a diversity that makes Remembrance Day accessible to all young people.

Felix Eboue governor of Chad during WWII, Captain Thain Macdowell of Brockville, Sepoy Bhandari Ram, a Hindu from the Simla Hills and Alice Taylor from Ottawa are some of the fascinating characters who spring out of history to tempt young people into further reading and research. There is even an on-line template to encourage students to research and submit a story on a local hero.

The “Medal and Memories Minutes”, “Facts” and “Before the Reading” sections draw in reluctant readers and “After the Reading” and “Extensions” provide follow up suggestions for the eager.

According to project director, Angie Littlefield, “Although we gear the Reading and Remembrance materials to November 11th, these lessons could be used throughout the year. They are resources for Character Education and slide seamlessly into English, Civics, Arts, Native Studies and Canadian and World Studies curricula. I picture teachers printing these lessons for Remembrance Day and keeping them in a binder for back-up use.”

The Ontario Historical Society and the Ontario Library Association join founding sponsor Ontario Power Generation to promote the project provincially. Reading and Remembrance, started by the Durham West Arts Centre in 2005, is fully bilingual in 2009 thanks to M.P. Mark Holland. Since its inception, over 100,000 students have participated.

Don Terry of Public Affairs, Pickering Nuclear, concludes, “This project provides excellence in public education on values held dear by our organization. We are proud to be the founding and continuing sponsor of a project that will now reach even further into Ontario communities to support veterans, reading, history and equity.”

-30-

Contact Angie Littlefield [email protected], 416-282-0646 Mary Cook [email protected], 905-839-1734 or Andrea Izzo, Ontario Historical Society [email protected], 416-226-9011

“We’ve set an October 2nd deadline as we hope that young people and professionals alike will add to the body of knowledge for this year’s theme; we would like to see their research and reading validated through on-line publication”, says Project Manager Mary Cook. The website has a submission template.

Shelagh Paterson, Executive Director of the Ontario Library Association states, “Libraries have participated in this project in the past. We want to step forward a little more this year to promote a project that places a high priority on reading, research and community collaboration. There are memories of veterans in all communities served by public libraries and we want to stimulate the search for the reading materials that honour the men and women who created those memories.”

Don Terry of Public Affairs, Pickering Nuclear concludes, “This project models excellence in public education. We are proud to be the founding and continuing sponsor of a project that this year will reach even further into Ontario communities to support veterans, reading, history and diversity.” www.readingandremembrance.ca

*As Reading and Remembrance is a project in progress, the materials 2005-2009 are not in a standard format. Art of Dissent, created for the Holocaust Centre of Toronto, had its own format. The Project Managers for Reading and Remembrance welcome input on teacher-friendly formats.

Contact

Angie Littlefield

Angie Littlefield, independent writer and curator with 33 years experience in education, created Reading and Remembrance in 2005 while E.D. of the Durham West Arts Centre. Angie curated The Art of Dissent: Willy Fick for the Toronto Holocaust Centre (Nov 2008), Angelika Hoerle: Comet of the Cologne Arts Scene for the AGO (May 23 to Aug 30, 2009) and wrote and produced Angelika’s Promise Jackmann Hall, AGO, June 17 and June 24, 2009. www.angielittlefield.com [email protected] 72 Baronial Court, Toronto, ON, M1C 3J7 416-282-0646

Reading and Remembrance 2009: Medals and Memories

By Angie Littlefield

Started in The Year of the Veteran, the Canadian web-based project Reading and Remembrance delivers one-stop shopping for educators looking for reading and arts-based materials for Remembrance Day. Over 100,000 students participated in four years and an astronomical number of visitors downloaded data.

Started as a collaborative project by the Durham West Arts Centre in 2005, Reading and Remembrance continues to draw new partners. In 2009 the Ontario Library Association and the Ontario Historical Society joined founding sponsor Ontario Power Generation to promote the project provincially.

Angie Littlefield, Project Manager notes, “Reading and Remembrance has been mentioned in federal parliament and twice had the involvement of Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor; we’ve reached into schools in every corner of the province. Because teachers tell us how excited students are to learn new facets of what Canadians should be proud to remember, we want to spread the magic further. Each year we search out stories that personalize Remembrance for young people.”

Educators may select materials from four archived themes—In Flanders Fields; Anti-Racism and Holocaust Education; Women and War and Art of Dissent.* Research is underway for 10 totally bilingual lessons for the 2009 theme: Medals and Memories.

Some of the 2009 lessons include Victoria Cross recipients; diversity in service from First Nations to new Canadians; animals awarded the Dickin Medal; Canada’s decorated female combatants and the medals and memories of Canada’s Cadets and Junior Rangers.

Lessons have pre-reading questions to create readiness, prompts during the reading/viewing to stimulate analysis and post-reading activities to encourage explorations in writing, reading, research and the arts. The site also has stand-alone readings and links to websites that provide Remembrance-related materials for teachers to follow their own lines of research.

The “value added” of the Reading and Remembrance site is the handy access to multiple resources in a format friendly to the Ontario curriculum. The lessons go well with Civics, History, English, Visual Arts and a wide array of elementary curricula.

Although teachers may download the ready-to-use lessons for Remembrance Day, or to use at any time during the year, the Project Managers ask they sign up for the Reading and Remembrance Honour Roll. “A high participation rate ensures continuing support to develop more student-centred resources,” says Littlefield, “and we want to do that to promote a greater awareness of the values Remembrance Day represents for school-aged children.”

To encourage participation, the website introduces a new interactive feature this year. Young people may submit the profile of a local veteran or current service person and teachers and librarians may submit a lesson.

July 6, 2009

Dear O.S.L.A. Board Member,

It was a pleasure to speak to you at your May 23, 2009 Board meeting. I incorporated your ideas about character education into the attached first two lessons. If you have any additional suggestions, please email them to myself or Mary Cook as soon as possible as the research, writing and translation are in full swing.

You may wish to print the English and French posters back to back—following up on another suggestion to use both sides. The files are large and so not to clog your IN box, have posted them on the website. Just go to www.readingandremembrance.ca/2009.html and click on the English and French poster to download your copies.

If you would like to have posters mailed to you for schools in your region, please email the address where you would like to have them sent.

Thank you for your support of Reading and Remembrance 2009: Medals and Memories.

Regards,

Angie Littlefield and Mary Cook, Project Managers Reading and Remembrance [email protected] | [email protected]

Lessons Attached: Reading and Remembrance: Medals and Memories ~ FIRST NATIONS, THE INUIT

Poster Page English www.readingandremembrance.ca/forms/RR2009/RandR2009PosterErgb.pdf Poster Page French www.readingandremembrance.ca/forms/RR2009/RandR2009PosterFrgb.pdf

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca

August, 2009

Dear Director of Education

Reading and Remembrance 2009: Medals and Memories

The provincial project Reading and Remembrance has touched the lives of approximately 100,000 students in almost 300 schools across Ontario. This year the Ontario Historical Society and the Ontario Library Association join founding sponsor Ontario Power Generation to expand the reach of the project so that it may touch more young people’s lives. M.P. Mark Holland, in whose riding the project started at the Durham West Arts Centre, has mentioned the project in parliament; we have been fortunate to have the support of the Lieutenant Governor, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Legion, municipal officials and countless veterans.

We chose the 2009 theme Medals and Memories to relate the moving memories of past and current service people and to feature the bravery and dedication of those who were awarded medals.

Starting June 2009 we will post new material appropriate for reading and related activities on the new website www.readingandremembrance.ca where schools may already sign up on the on-line registration form. Any school that participates will be entered on the Reading and Remembrance Honour Roll. As Director of Education, if you chose to register your whole Board so that we may send project posters to distribute through your courier system, please ensure that participating teachers are told to register on-line as well.

A new feature this year allows students, teachers and school librarians to post their research on the memories and medals of local veterans and service people. We would like to acknowledge the research and writing of your students and create an on-line community of learners who support Remembrance. Please note that teachers are free to use any of the archived materials if they find previous themes more suited to their classes

As you prepare for the 2009–2010 school year, we hope that you will take up the torch of Reading and Remembrance and pass it to the principals of your schools. With your help, schools will ring out with young voices on November 11, 2009.

Yours truly,

Angie Littlefield and Mary Cook Reading and Remembrance Project Managers

N.B. Reading and Remembrance is a not-for-profit project and its lead partner, the Ontario Historical Society is a charitable organization.

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca CC

QUE LES ÉCOLES RÉSONNENT DE JEUNES VOIX LECTURE POUR SE SOUVENIR DE CEUX QUI CONTRIBUENT À NOS LIBERTÉS LECTURE ET SOUVENIR 2009 : MÉDAILLES ET SOUVENIRS

Ceux qui ont contribué à la préservation de la société libre et démocratique du Canada par le passé ont de nombreux souvenirs, tout comme les membres actuels des forces armées. Le projet provincial Lecture et Souvenir relate des souvenirs touchants et met en relief la bravoure et le dévouement de ceux qui ont obtenu des médailles. Imaginez des milliers d’élèves de l’Ontario rendant simultanément hommage à nos anciens combattants et montrant l’importance de la lecture et du souvenir des diverses contributions aux efforts de guerre de notre pays. Pour vous inscrire comme école participante, communiquez avec ReadingAndRemembrance.ca

11 novembre 2009 @ 2:11 P.M.

After the Reading • Look up sculptor Frances Loring and try to find exam- ples of her work to show your classmates • Which Silver Cross mother impressed you the most and why? • List all the places in Ontario mentioned. Which is the closest to where you live?

Extensions Canadian war mothers waiting to meet King Edward. Charlotte Wood is on the right • Report on the Silver Cross Mothers whose stories are of the front row, wearing her sons’ war service medals. Alongside her are Mrs J.A. on the Veterans Affairs Canada website Wardle of Toronto, who lost three sons in the Great War, and Mrs. G. McDonald of Toronto, who lost two. Photo ~ Chalotte Fullman: “Canada’s War Mother” • Research the representations of women throughout history. Look at the role of mother, goddess, maiden, • Schrader, Ceris “Lady Lost Five Sons” Tom Morgan’s siren/temptress, warrior queen and decide what is the Hellfire Corner: The Great War 1914-1918” www.hell- most powerful representation of women and why? From fire-corner.demon.co.uk whose role model does society benefit most? • Research and report on the Military Cross/Silver Cross Images mothers in your community • The Unveiling of the Vimy Ridge Memorial http://www.journal.dnd.ca/vo8/no1/reynolds-eng.asp Sources • Brar, Sandeep Singh “Private Buckam Singh: Discovering a Canadian Hero” www.sikhmuseum.com • Byrne, Wendy “Tribute to Mrs. Alice Taylor, Silver Cross Mother”, Ottawa Regional Council, Oct 27. 1999, www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/archives/ OTHER

rmoc/Regional_Council/27Oct99/rcm27oct.html M ROSS

• Catterall, Marlene, M.P. “Alice Taylor” Hansard, Nov. C

6, 1997 p. 1651 ILVER S

www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pu HE b=Hansard&doc=29&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=3 – T EAR 6&Ses=1#LINK90 B

• “Chalotte Fullman: Canada’s War Mother” ROSS TO C www.geocities.com/charlotte_susan_wood/cs03020.htm

?20099 IFFICULT

• Chute, Clifford The Memory Project Digital Archive, : A D www.thememoryprject.com EMORIES • Evans, Suzanne Mother of Heroes, Mother of M Martyrs”, Montreal and Kingston, McGill and Queens University Press, 2007 EDALS AND • Gurunka, “Veteran’s story inspires Sikh community” 2009: M Sikhnet, Nov. 10, 2008, www.sikhnet.com/print/1446 • McCarthy, David “Vimy Stories” www.davidakin.blog- EMEMBRANCE ware.com/blog/_archives/2007/4/72865424.html R • “Mrs. Bernadette Rivait: 1964 Memorial (Silver) Cross

Mother”, Veterans Affairs Canada, www.vac-acc.gc.ca EADING AND 4 R OF 4 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES her son sustained a shrapnel wound to his head in June 1916. When a bullet shattered his left leg below the Chandi Kaur, Medals knee in Belgium July 20th, she did not know that he from a Far Land was treated in the Canadian Hospital run by Dr. John McCrae, the author of Canada’s famous poem, “In In 1907, 14 year old Buckam Flanders Fields”. She did not know that his life was (Bukkan | Buk Am) Singh, born ebbing from him as he suffered from tuberculosis. The in Malipur, Punjab came to first news she had of her 25 year son’s soldiering for Canada to make a future. He Canada came when she received a death notice and a left behind a child bride, Pritam Silver Cross. The child bride, Pritam, who had never Kaur, to whom he had been really known her husband, received a Silver Cross as betrothed when he was 10 well. The Memorial Plaque and Scroll which only Private Buckam Singh’s grave years old—as was the custom is the only known Sikh of that day. Buckam worked in Buckam’s mother received bore the words, “He died for Canadian soldiers grave in freedom and honour.” Although Chandi Kaur may not Canada. mining camps in British Photo: sikhmuseum.com Columbia before moving to have been able to read the words in English, the Sikh- Toronto. For six months, until April 1915, he worked on Canadians who celebrated around the grave stone of the farm of Wm. Henry Moore of Rosebank, (now Private Buckam Singh in Mount Hope Cemetery, Pickering) Ontario. Then, as the Canadian call for sol- Kitchener, November 2008, proudly understood their diers became louder, Buckam made his way to Smith meaning. Toronto war historian Sandeep Singh Brar, Falls to enlist with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary who has documented the life of Buckam Singh one of Force, 59th Battalion. Described as 5’7” tall and of the first Sikhs to live in Ontario, stated, “As Sikhs, we “swarthy complexion” on his enlistment form, Buckam can feel we’re no longer outsiders. We helped form was one of nine Sikhs who served in integrated Canada’s history.” Canadian units in France and Belgium. Documentary: Sikh-Canadian Heroes of the First World War by David Gray www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/515245 His mother Chandi Kaur, in Malipur, did not know that http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/540217 OTHER

Mary Louise McLeod of Mrs. Daniel McCann, the Silver Cross recipient for 1952 M Wiarton, Ontario, was the had no body to mourn. Her husband Daniel was one of ROSS 1972 Silver Cross Mother. C the 3,050 Canadian airmen with no known grave who are ILVER

She and her husband S

John, who served in WWI commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial 32 km west HE – T and was in the Veterans’ of London. EAR Guard in WWII contributed B Mary Louise McLeod, Silver Cross six sons and one daughter Mrs. Edna Pafford of Toronto, Mrs. Ida Beattie of North

Mother 1972 accompanied by her ROSS TO daughters in the Memorial Chamber of to the WWII effort. Two Bay and Mrs. Loyola Helen Park (née Harrington) of C the Peace Tower Photo: Legion Magazine McLeod sons (John Joseph London, Ontario have all held the Memorial Cross. Of and Alfred Joseph) were IFFICULT the trio, only Mrs. Park, the 1999 Silver Cross mother, has killed and two injured. All eyes were on Mary McLeod, the : A D first Native Canadian mother to represent all Canadian a story to read on the Veterans Affairs Canada website. mothers in 1972. She had two daughters with her as she EMORIES Literally 100,000 stories of loss are left to be told about M signed the Book of Remembrance in the Memorial the Canadian families who sacrificed loved ones to war Chamber the entrance of which is emblazoned with a Memorial Cross. As she passed under the archway featur- and peace keeping. EDALS AND ing a bas-relief by sculptor Frances Loring, representing a The young people of Ontario have a considerable chal- mother with two children, Mary McLeod took a giant step 2009: M forward in the recognition of First Nations and all women. lenge. With a little effort, they may reclaim many lives— maybe even one from the community in which they live.

Nora A. Wagner (née Bosswell), the 1965 Silver Cross EMEMBRANCE R mother from Teeterville, Ontario, lost two sons: Private As John McCrae said in the poem “In Flanders Fields”, Harry Everett Wagner in 1944, and Bruce Howard “… they are not dead”. The courageous only die when

Wagner in 1945. there are no young people to champion them. EADING AND 4 R OF 3 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES vision during the 1991 Ottawa Remembrance Day ceremonies. Trooper Chute relayed details of the day they Alice Taylor lost four tanks in combat. “We had a comforting visit When Alice C. Taylor (née with Mrs. Taylor and her family, and Richard’s girlfriend Grimes) died Oct. 12, 1999, who had never married. I was able to explain to Mrs. she was just 18 days shy of her Taylor the care the crew was able to give Richard until 102nd birthday. She was the the ambulance arrived. Richard as a member of our last Silver Cross mother for a crew was highly respected and I will always remember WWII veteran and the only him as a valued comrade.” woman to be a Silver Cross By the time Alice Taylor died, she had lived with the loss mother twice. She followed up of her son Richard for 55 years and the death of her her first appearance on the national stage in 1991 with her husband, a WWI veteran, for 22 years. Councillor second visit when she was 100 years old in 1997. Wendy Byrne of Ottawa Regional Council paid the Hansard, for Nov. 6, 1997, reports M.P. Marlene remarkable Alice Taylor tribute at her passing in 1999. Catterall’s recognition of Alice in parliament. “Mrs. “What truly illustrates, not only the importance of the Taylor represents all Canadian mothers who lost loved Cross to Mrs. Taylor, but her courage and indomitable ones to the war. But she also represents all the home- spirit, was her reaction three years ago to the attempted front heroes who preserved a country of civility and love robbery of her purse in the courtyard outside her home. for our troops to come home to. She also represents a When some thugs grabbed her purse and ran off, she century in which this country moved from colonial status gave chase and got her purse back. When the police to a proud place on the world stage ….” On Nov. 11, reprimanded her for her “dangerous” actions, she firmly 1997, the Speaker of the House presented Mrs. Taylor told them that it contained the Silver Cross given to her with the page from the Book of Remembrance that contained the name of her son Richard who died Aug. 17, in memory of her son, and she was not going to let it 1944, on the march from Normandy to Falaise. go.” The active Mrs. Taylor worked in the War Records Trooper Clifford A. Chute of the 10th Armoured Office during WWII, did a lot of volunteer work, took

Division, Fort Gary Horse, a comrade of Richard Taylor, up bowling at 86 years of age and never missed the OTHER visited with Mrs. Taylor in 1994 after seeing her on tele- merry-go-round at the Ottawa Exhibition. M ROSS C ILVER 1950 was the first year that the Royal Canadian Legion Mrs. C.L. Wilkinson of Ottawa, Mrs. Mary Little of S HE

selected one mother or widow to place a wreath on behalf Welland, Mrs. Rose Bernst of Thunder Bay, Mrs. Mabel – T EAR of all grieving families at the National War Memorial dur- Bateman of Richmond Hill and Mrs. Elsie Pearce of B ing the national Remembrance Day Ceremony. Mrs. John Trenton. Student researchers should take up the challenge ROSS TO Beasley, of Ottawa, widow of Private John Beasley of the to bring their stories into the new information age—under C Central Ontario Regiment of Canadian Infantry, was the their own names. first person to take that long, lonely walk to the cenotaph. IFFICULT

Mrs. Bernadette Rivait, a Windsor mother of 13 and : A D Her grief was not lessened by the fact that Private Beasley grandmother of 58, was the Silver Cross mother in 1964. was 24 years old when he had died 33 years before near EMORIES M Calais, May 11, 1917. She lost Privates Leon and Edward Rivait at Dieppe in 1942 and Private Lawrence Rivait in northwest Europe in

Since 1950, nearly 20 mothers from Ontario have EDALS AND 1944. Her son Raymond spent three years in a German stepped onto the national stage for Remembrance Day, prisoner of war camp. When her son Edward enlisted serving as symbols of sacrifice. Although the Veterans 2009: M Affairs Canada website has excellent materials on the last shortly after Lawrence was killed, Mr. and Mrs. Rivait drew decade of these Silver Cross mothers, it has proven a up a petition to get him released from service. Although EMEMBRANCE challenge to find out about Mrs. A.J. Reynolds from they succeeded in having him discharged, the rebellious R Chatham, Mrs. Helen Forrestell of Coniston, Mrs. George Edward signed up again a month later; Edward survived

Stephens of Toronto, Mrs. Elsie Adams of St. Catherines, the war. EADING AND 4 R OF 2 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE MEDALS AND MEMORIES A Difficult Cross to Bear – The Silver Cross Mother

Character Education • Contrast the essential teachings of a cat or dog mother with that of a human mother. What are the most significant things to impart to a human child? • Create a list of the most important character traits a mother models Memorial Cross GRVI Image: Reproduced with the • Prioritize the most important character teachings that a young person should receive. From permission of Veterans Affairs Canada, 2009 whom should she or he receive these teachings? Facts The Great War’s 65,000 dead touched every part of Canada. In • Between 1919-1945 there were over 100,000 response in 1919, the Canadian Canadian military deaths government created the Memorial • 27,000 Canadian soldiers of WWI and WWII were Cross, also called the Silver Cross, not identified and lie in unmarked graves to help grieving families. In 1936 when Charlotte Susan Wood (née • 55 Silver Cross Mothers are listed on the Veterans Fullman) placed a wreath on the Affairs Canada website for having participated in the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at OTHER

national Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa The Unveiling of the Vimy Westminster Abbey, on behalf of M Ridge Memorial Painted by between 1950–2008 Georges Bertin Scott in 1937 all Canadian mothers, she ROSS C Mrs. Charlotte Wood can be became known as the first Silver

seen towards the back. ILVER Cross mother. Mrs. Wood immi- S Before the Reading HE

grated with part of her family from Britain to take up a – T

• Discuss whether ONE woman should represent the EAR 160 acre Dominion Land Grant northwest of Edmonton in B many who have lost children 1905. Of the 11 sons that Mrs. Wood sent to WWI, five ROSS TO

• If you had to select one mother to represent those did not return. Louis was lost at sea when his ship the C who lost children for their country, what criteria would HMS Hogue was torpedoed in Sept. 1914; Fred died at the Somme, Harry at Gallipoli, Joseph at Passchendaele IFFICULT you use to select the mother? and Percy at Vimy Ridge. In a 1936 pilgrimage to Vimy for : A D • Should the role of mothers be to teach about the pre- the unveiling of the new memorial, the by then iconic Mrs. EMORIES

vention of ALL WARS? Wood, proudly wearing five sets of medals, was presented M to King Edward VIII. When she died at the outbreak of

Reading WWII her funeral was attended by large numbers of veter- EDALS AND ans. The Winnipeg Free Press stated that,”… the Imperial “The modern Silver Cross mother brings the sacrifice of Ladies’ Auxiliary attended the last rites in a body. War wid- 2009: M the mothers of history and mythology into view again, and ows, of which body she was an honoured member, held they add a depth of history and tradition to her.” Mothers the service at the graveside and each member present EMEMBRANCE of Heroes, Mothers of Martyrs, Suzanne Evans passed the open grave, dropping a poppy on the remains.” R EADING AND 4 R OF 1 Lecture et Souvenir 2009 | ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Sources Images • “Dogs – Roll of Honour” PDSA Dickin Medal: “the Columbas Audubon (Cher Ami, G.I.Joe) | animals’ VC”, www.pdsa.org.uk Newfoundland Club of America (Sgt. Gander) | • “Horses in World War II” Wikipedia, MaritimeQuest (Simon) www.wikipedia.org Connecticut State Military Department (Sgt. Stubby) | Military.com (Chips) | Wikimedia Commons (Croix de • “Mascot Dog Sacrificed Life for Human Comrades” guerre) | National Gallery of Canada (Warrier) Veterans Affairs Canada www.vac-acc.gc.ca • “Quartermaster War Dog Program” War Dogs, Audio www.qmfound.com/K-9.htm • Listen to August 11, 2000, CBC Radio Archives with • “Sergeant Soochow” WWII & Korean War Dog Fred Kelly and Jeremy Swanson from the Canadian War Stories” www.uswardogs.org/id26.html Museum at http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/veter- • “Sergeant Stubby”, Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org ans/topics/1039-5847/ • “The mighty Warrior, who led one of history’s last-ever cavalry charges”, by Brough Scott, Telegraph, March 23, 2008, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ 1582562/The-mighty-Warrior-who-led-one-of-historys- last-ever-cavalry-charges.html • “The Dogs of War on the Battlegrounds” Dogs at War, www.greatwardifferent.com • “They Also Serve” Dogs through History, www.home- page.ntlworld.com • “WWII K-9 Chips” Military Dogs, www.olive- drab.com/od_wardogs_famous.php IDE H UR AND , F EATHERS 2009: F EMEMBRANCE R EADING AND 8 R OF 8 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE With the significant changes seen in warfare during WWI, In spite of the marvel of these canine combat heroics, the dogs were at first deemed non-essential to the WWII war largest number of PDSA Dickin medals went to dogs like effort. By 1942 Colonel E.H. Richardson and Major James Beauty, Jet, Irma, Thorn, Rex, Rip and Peter who dug Baldwin had convinced the British military to set up the through the rubble of London during the blitz to rescue first War Dog School. In two years 7000 dogs passed hundreds of buried civilians. Their dogged determination through the training school, including the Alsatian Brian remains inspirational. who became a fully qualified Paratrooper. Brian was attached to a Parachute Battalion and landed with them in After Readings #2 and #3 Normandy. • General Pershing and General Patton, both American Shortly after Pearl Harbour the American Quartermaster Generals, were leaders in WWI and WWII. Who were Corps started to train dogs as well. At first, most were Canada’s top military brass in these wars? Describe one. allocated to sentry duty, over 3,000 being issued to the • What did you learn about horses and dogs in war that Coast Guard for beach patrols guarding against enemy you didn’t know before? submarine activities. When the U.S. went on the offence in • Whereas the use of horses in cavalry declined by the Pacific, the War Department authorized War Dog WWII, their use as beasts of burden increased. Is their Platoons. These military dogs were pivotal in taking away the service as beasts of burden less valuable? enemy’s advantage of conducting ambushes and surprise attacks in the dense vegetation of Pacific Island jungles. Extensions Among the canine heroes of WWII • Dogs today are trained to assist the blind, sniff out was Chips who served with the 3rd explosives and illegal drugs and track lost individuals. Infantry Division in North Africa, Make a list of all the things dogs are trained to do and Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. pick one to research and describe the training involved. Shortly after landing in Sicily in 1943 Chips attacked a concealed • Research the dogs who won the PDSA Dickin medal German pillbox housing a machine for their work during the blitz. Describe instances where gun. After what appeared to be a modern search and rescue dogs are used in the same vicious fight inside the pillbox, four enemy soldiers surren- way. dered. The scalp wounds and powder burns Chips sus- • The readings make reference to Shakespeare’s tained indicated that the enemy had attempted to shoot Richard III, the Trojan War and Rin Tin Tin. Research the him. Later that night, Chips helped capture 10 more war that is featured in each case and about what they enemy soldiers. The Silver Star for Bravery and the Purple were fought. What were the most common causes of Heart that Major General Truscott awarded Chips in the these wars and how do they compare to the causes of field were later overruled, but Chips, who died of compli- wars today? cations from his war wounds, remained a hero in people’s • Other PDSA Dickin Medal recipients hearts. http://www.pdsa.org.uk/dickinmedal.html Sergeant Soochow started his military career as a Marine Corps mascot in Shanghai in 1937. When his company IDE headed to the Philippines in 1941, the popular Soochow H was mascot to the entire regiment. Sgt. Soochow was in UR AND the foxholes with his soldiers during the siege of , F Corregidor and fought alongside them snarling and snap- EATHERS ping at the enemy. When the island surrendered in 1942

Sgt. Soochow became a prisoner of war for nearly three 2009: F years-keeping up the morale of his fellow internees. Grateful Marines organized a parade for Soochow’s 9th EMEMBRANCE birthday. Among Sgt. Soochow’s medals were the Good R Conduct Medal and the American Defense Medal and Ribbon. EADING AND 8 R OF 7 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE two armoured and two infantry regiments during the invasion of the Philippines. In North Africa Gen. George S. Patton lamented, “... had we possessed an American cavalry division with pack artillery in Tunisia and in Sicily, not a German would have escaped.”iii “A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse ...” (Richard III, by William Shakespeare)

Reading #3 • Dogged Determination: Man’s Best Friend Goes to War • Dogs were used in WWI as sentinels, ambulance dogs, scouts and messengers. They were even used to lay communication wires. As an estimate of their num- General Jack Seely and Warrior, by Sir Alfred Munnings in 1918 bers, one section of the Societe Nationale du Chien in the National Gallery of Canada Sanitaire in Paris trained over 1,500 dogs. A battalion the British line and taken more than 100,000 prisoners. of Chasseurs in the Vosges which had a particularly The Allies took their stand at Moreuil Wood. General Jack intelligent animal sentry did not lose a single man Seely astride his short-legged, independent-spirited but whereas the previous battalion, sans chien, lost seven kindly gelding Warrior was at the head of a force of 1000 sentries in three days. horses from the Canadian Cavalry. These men, who his • WWI ambulance dogs could search the battlefields at grandson described as an, “assorted bunch of ranchers, night to find men who had been passed over. Trained to clerks, expats, Mounties and Native Americans,” ii demon- retrieve a helmet or other personal object, the dogs would strated their mettle that day. Of the 12 signal group sol- lead the ambulance men back to the fallen soldier. WWI diers who were to plant pennants for the Royal Flying messenger dogs were ideal for trench warfare as they Corps to aim at, five died trying. When seven pennants, were smaller targets and faster than human runners. bearing the Canadian “C” were planted, General Seely Although the PDSA Dickin Medal led the charge. was not awarded until WWII, The German advance was halted at Moreuil Wood, but, a some dogs were decorated. The quarter of the men and half the horses were lost. The bull terrier Sergeant Stubby, who mighty horse Warrior survived. Like a cat, Warrior had served with the US 102nd already had many lives. In 1915 Warrior was unscathed Infantry, stands out for his many when a shell cut the horse beside him in half. A few days honours among which were: three Service Stripes, the later Warrior had just left his stable when a shell fell on it. Purple Heart and the Republic of France Grande War In 1917 he’d been frantically dug out of mud at Medal. Passchendaele. Only three days before Moreuil Wood, Stubby participated in four offensives and 17 battles; at he’d been trapped beneath a shattered beam. The drive, IDE one point he was under constant fire, day and night for H to have Warrior represent the brave horses of WWI with a over a month. Even after being wounded by a German

PDSA Dickin medal, continues to this day. UR AND

grenade and felled by poison gas, once healed Stubby , F Ironically, although cavalry was considered unsuited to returned to active service in the trenches. He learned to modern warfare by the end of WWI, the Germans used warn of poison gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in EATHERS 2.75 million horses in WWII, even more than they had no man’s land, alerted his fellow soldiers of incoming 2009: F used in WWI. The British relied on horses in the rough ter- artillery and captured a German spy in the Argonne. After rain of Italy and the Middle East. In the Far East, the US the war, the much-feted Sgt. Stubby, met three presidents EMEMBRANCE

Army’s only cavalry unit challenged the Japanese invaders and received the Humane Education Society’s Gold R of Luzon. With the help of Philippine Scouts, they held off Medal from General Pershing himself.

ii Brough Scott “The mighty Warrior, who led one of history’s last-ever iii Anna Waller “Horses and Mules and National Defense” Office of the EADING AND

cavalry charges”, Telegraph, March 23, 2008 Quartermaster General, www.qmfound.com/horse.htm 8 R OF 6 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Before Readings #2 and #3 Character Education • Explore how the technologies of war change animal and human behaviour and evaluate if these changes are bene- ficial to human character development • Differentiate between animal and human service to mankind • Discuss the role of training in character education

Facts MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES • During WWI, eight million horses died on all sides; 2.5 million were treated in veterinary hospitals of which Canada’s Canine two million returned to active duty Hero “Sergeant • One German infantry division in Normandy in 1944 Gander” had 5,000 horses; the Soviets used 3.5 million horses PDSA Dickin Medal Award cita- during WWII tion: “For saving the lives of • Rin Tin Tin was the puppy of German war dogs found Canadian infantrymen during the in an abandoned German war dog station in Lorraine, Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong France Island in December 1941.” As a black 60 kilo family pet • PDSA Dickin medals were awared to 18 dogs; eight chasing planes on the Gander dogs from the War Dog Unit in the Pacific Theatre of airstrip, Pal the Newfoundland WWII received U.S. Army Commendations dog, was a nuisance. As a playful mascot for the Royal Rifles of Canada Regiment, the newly-named Before the Readings Gander was a joy; he learned to drink draft beer and • From the Trojan horse to Black Beauty and from Rin even showered with the men. When the regiment shipped out with “C Force” to defend Hong Kong in Tin Tin to Benji, stories of horses and dogs are always fall 1941, “Sergeant” Gander was on board. popular. Compare your favourite horse and dog stories. On three documented occasions Gander engaged Who’s the best and why? the enemy. When the Japanese landed on the beach • The horse in George Orwell’s Animal Farm keeps say- near Lye Mun, Gander faced them down with fright- ing, “I will work harder”. Why are horses linked to hard ening barks and nipped at their legs. On another work? occasion he charged at the enemy when they neared a group of wounded soldiers. Seeing a ferocious • List the skills dogs have displayed throughout history? bear-like force bearing down upon them, the sur- (For what have they been used?) prised Japanese quickly changed routes. In a final act of bravery December 19, 1941, Gander, who Reading #2 knew what grenades were, rushed to pick one up that had landed next to a group of seven Canadian Cavalry’s Last Hurrah: Horses in World War I and II soldiers. The grenade exploded in his mouth as he At the beginning of WWI Britain and Germany each had a was carrying it out of range; he died instantly. i

cavalry force of 100,000 men expecting to engage in FUR AND HIDE Sgt. Gander’s August 15, 2000, Dickin award was the , genteel but fervid encounters. By the end of the war, eight first for a dog in 55 years. During the award ceremo- million horses had died on both sides. Some horses were ny in Ottawa at a gathering of veterans, Fred Kelly, FEATHERS ripped apart by machine gun fire; others were exploded by the soldier responsible for Gander’s care in WWII, 2009: shells, but most died from exposure, disease or starvation had with him another Newfoundland dog to repre- as they hauled men, ammunition and equipment. The sent Gander, the brave Canadian mascot-soldier. Listen to August 11, 2000 CBC Radio Archives with Fred Kelly and EMEMBRANCE

trench warfare of WWI changed the ways wars were waged. R Jeremy Swanson from the Canadian War Museum at The last great cavalry charge of WWI took place March http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/veterans/topics/1039-5847/ i “Dog-Roll of Honour” PDSA Dickin Medal: the animals’ VC, 30, 1918. The German spring offensive of 1918 had

www.pdsa.org.uk/page309_2.htm EADING AND

advanced towards Amiens in France. They had smashed 8 R OF 5 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Sources • “G.I. Joe” by Otto Meyer, U.S. Army Communications Electronics Museum, Fort Monmouth, NJ Famous • “Airborne threat of Nazi pigeons” BBC News Special Pigeons, www.monmouth.army.mil/museum/gijoe.shtml Report, Jan 27, 1999, www.news.bbc.co.uk • “History of the RPRA” History of the RPRA, • “Cat Aids Crew of the HMS Amethyst” by Simone, www.rpra.org Montréal, Quebec, tales of Animals in War, http://www.acc-vac.gc.ca/youth/sub.cfm?source=fea- • “Pigeons of War” by Joe Razes, America inWWII ture/week2006/vw_edres/animalswar_news/page2 Magazine, August 2007, www.americainwwii.com/stories/pigeons.html • “Cat of War” by Santhini Govidan, The Hindu, January 21, 2004, www.thehindu.com • “Pigeons Used During Wars” by Freddy Thienpont, Pigeons in the War, • “Cher Ami”, Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org http://wingswest.net/pigeons/Warpigeons/warpigeons.html • “Cher Ami – The Carrier Pigeon who saved 200 men” Home of the Heroes, www.homeofheroes.com/wings/part1/3b_charami.html • “Coo, honour at last for pigeon war heroes”, by Claire Newell, Timesonline, Jan 6, 2008, www.entertai- ment.timesonline.co.uk • “Documents reveal role of ‘winged spies”, by Ben Fenton, Telegraph, www.telegraph.co.uk FUR AND HIDE , FEATHERS 2009: EMEMBRANCE R EADING AND 8 R OF 4 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Heinrich Himmler, a well-known pigeon fancier, used pigeons for what was intended to be pre-invasion intelli- MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES gence. When birds, probably dropped off in baskets by high-speed boats or submarines, were seen winging from The Nine Lives of England towards France, MI5 tamed and trained its own Simon the Cat counter force. The National Pigeon Service Special Simon was a stray cat on Hong Section, “Birds of Prey”, set up an airborne net of pere- Kong’s Stonecutter’s Island grine falcons over the Scilly Isles off the Cornish coast until he was taken on as a early in 1942. mascot for the British Naval In March 1944, knowing that the Allied invasion was frigate HMS Amethyst. Simon’s imminent the Germans started their own pigeon counter playfulness amused the ship’s crew—especially when measures. They parachuted hundreds of supposedly British he fished ice-cubes out of a jug of water. Things pigeons over France with a packet of English cigarettes as became serious for Simon in 1949 when The proof of their bona fides and instructions that the English Amethyst headed up the Yangtze River was bombard- required the names of local patriots. The trick didn’t work ed by artillery fire killing 17 men including the cap- as genuine British birds came with the message to only tain. Simon was sleeping in the Captain’s cabin use a nom de plume and with a copy of the most recent when it took a direct hit from a shell. With whiskers edition of a London-based newspaper. The Free French network of secret agents had also warned of the German and eyebrows burnt off, fur singed, gashes in his “stool pigeons” advising their people to smoke the ciga- back and legs and punctured lungs, the little cat was rettes and eat the pigeons. not expected to survive. Simon’s amazing survival and recovery revived the spirits of the demoralized Remembrance Day allows us to consider and be thankful crew, especially as the grounded ship was soon for the sacrifices of the men and women who fought for invaded by hordes of rats. During the three months the freedoms we enjoy. Let us remember as well the feath- the ship was stranded, Simon took on the task of ered friends who saved many lives through their service to the Allied cause. protecting the ship’s dwindling food supplies. He waged intense war on the rats and hunted down as After the Reading many as he could. When Simon wasn’t on rat-catcher duty, he and the ship’s terrier dog played with and • What parts of this reading did you find funny or sur- comforted their weary shipmates. Commander prising and why? Kerans in his recommendation for the PDSA Dickin • Look up the locations of the Hebrides and Scilly Medal wrote, “… Throughout the incident Simon’s Islands. Why would they be important to Britain’s behaviour was of the highest order. One would not defences? Does Canada have any islands of strategic have expected him to survive the shell that had made importance? a hole over a foot wide in diameter in a steel plate. • Which of the pigeons in this reading was the most Yet, he did and after a few days, Simon was as heroic? What points did you consider to determine what friendly as ever. His presence on the ship was a is heroic? decided factor in maintaining the morale of the ship’s company.” FUR AND HIDE

Extensions ,

• Disney’s 76 min movie Valiant (2005) is based on the they saw a rival male introduced into their coop. Some information in this reading and makes an excellent fol- FEATHERS people would argue that homing pigeons acted only on low up instinct. How do human motivation and heroism differ 2009: • Research the story of Bletchley Park and the code from what these birds achieved? breakers. Refer also to “Women with Secrets” in the EMEMBRANCE

Women in War section of this website to read about • Pigeons could fly on average 322 km in WWI. They R Canada’s decoders could fly on average 965 km in WWII. What percentage • Pigeon training sometimes involved motivation of increase is this and how do you account for this EADING AND

through hunger; some male pigeons homed faster if astounding increase of flight range in 20 years? 8 R OF 3 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE and three PDSA Dickin Medals, the equivalent of the Victoria Cross. In WWII nearly 250,000 military pigeons MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES served with British, American, Australian and Canadian forces in Italy, Greece, North Africa, India, Middle and Far Mon Cher Ami East. The homing pigeon unit in the U.S. Army Signal October 4, 1918, the Corps contained more than 3000 soldiers and 150 offi- American 77th Infantry cers who cared for 54,000 military pigeons and deployed them for reconnaissance, espionage and search and res- Division of 500 men was down cue missions. to just around 200. The men A British bird, called White Vision, provides an example of were trapped in a small how homing pigeons aboard RAF aircraft enabled search depression on the side of a and rescue. In October 1943 a Catalina Flying Boat with hill and surrounded by enemy radio and engine failure ditched in the sea off the soldiers. Major Whittlesey had unsuccessfully sent out Hebrides. The search was called off when thick mists several pigeons to tell his commanders where the divi- made locating the plane impossible. Nine hours after the sion was. When the American command, not know- plane was stranded, White Vision set off with the plane’s ing exactly where the 77th was located, started drop- location. Flying almost 100 km over rough seas against a ping big shells right on top of them the Major sent headwind of 40 kph and a visibility range of 180–270 metres, White Vision delivered her message. The search for his last bird, Cher Ami. resumed and all 11 crew members were rescued. The Germans saw Cher Ami rising out of the brush During WWII, 717 pigeons brought back news of downed and opened fire. For several minutes Cher Ami rose planes. Pigeons carried maps, photographs and cameras. through the hail of bullets, but then, he was hit. The Britain’s Secret Service MI5 trained pigeons for espionage doomed American infantrymen looked on in despair and kept them in secret lofts in Dover. These avian spies as their last hope started to plummet to earth. Then were parachuted behind enemy lines from bombers with somehow miraculously Cher Ami spread his wings instructions for resistance fighters to write messages with and started to climb and climb—out of the reach of significant intelligence. Dodging bullets and German falcons, the birds returned their coded messages to Bletchley the enemy guns. When the wounded bird reached Park, home to Britain’s code-breakers. The MI5 flock his coop, the soldier that answered the bell wire he brought back film of the V1 flying bombs being built in had tripped found him lying on his back covered in German factories; they also brought back reconnaissance blood. He had been blinded in one eye and had a for D-Day landings. hole the size of a quarter in his chest. Attached to his Pigeon espionage took on an interesting twist when birds almost severed leg was the silver canister with the wearing the tags of captured German pigeons became life-saving message. double agents and managed to infiltrate Nazi lofts. When the Germans unsuspectingly used the British birds, they Dedicated medics saved Cher flew home carrying their intercepted messages with them. Ami’s life but couldn’t save his Captured German pigeons were even put to work breed- leg; they did carve a small ing English pigeons for the war effort. The most famous wooden leg for him. When the FUR AND HIDE

German prisoner of war, named Kaiser, was captured by , American forces in the Battle of the Meuse in 1918. When one legged hero was well Kaiser died at 32 years of age, he had contributed many enough to travel, General FEATHERS intelligent, fast and beautiful descendants. Pershing, the commander of the 2009: Croix de guerre Some pigeons were trained to fly at night; some went U.S. Army personally saw him off. The French presented along with paratroopers and submarines to photograph EMEMBRANCE

Cher Ami with a Croix de guerre with a palm leaf. R the enemy’s fleet strength and targets for attack. Feathered service was not, however, one-sided. S.S. Chief Cher Ami had saved 194 lives. EADING AND 8 R OF 2 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE MEDALS AND MEMORIES: Feathers, Fur and Hide

Character Education • Distinguish between instinctual, learned and voluntary behaviours • Explore the motivations for going beyond minimal expectations • Develop a broader understanding of service

Facts MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES • Pigeon 1060 of the Royal Canadian Air Force flew many successful missions from submarines Another Look at • Of the 30,000 messages sent by the American Pigeon Service, 96% reached their destination Monte Cassino • The Royal Air Force (RAF) estimated that one in seven At the beginning of 1944 forced down airmen owed his life to a pigeon during the battle for Monte

Before the Reading Cassino on the outskirts of Rome, a company of Nepali • List all the good and bad characteristics of pigeons Ghurkhas and British troops • Bird-brained, stool pigeon, etc. What other phrases or sayings do you know that have to do with birds? What were pinned down on People’s Dispensary for do they mean? Sick Animals Hangman’s Hill, a rock out- PDSA Dickin Medal • Tell any stories that you know that have to do with cropping near the monastery birds; list any songs. What do the birds stand for in on the hill. American bombers dropped food and these stories and songs? water for them, but, much of it fell into German Reading # 1 hands. Cut off from their lines for nine days, the situ- ation seemed hopeless. Finally three British volun- Feathered Warriors and the Meaning of Service teers, each with a haversack containing an American The feathered warriors of WWI and WWII made significant contributions to the Allied war efforts. Mary served with the homing pigeon, set off by three different routes to try Allied Forces for five years in WWII during which time she to penetrate the German lines. One man was pinned was wounded 22 times; she died in action. A wounded down by machine gun fire, but, the other two man-

G.I. Joe flew 32 km in 20 minutes to save 1000 British FUR AND HIDE aged to get through. All three men sent messages , lives. In WWI in Alsace-Lorraine, a grievously wounded

Mocker provided the location of punishing enemy guns so about their routes to headquarters. That night Allied FEATHERS that artillery could silence them. Before his last fateful guns provided the fire to clear an escape route along 2009: flight, Mocker had completed 52 missions. the safe paths the scouts had identified. Three men For their extraordinary efforts these three received among and three pigeons saved the day. EMEMBRANCE them a Distinguished Service Medal, a Croix de Guerre R EADING AND 8 R OF 1 Reading and Remembrance 2009 | ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Extensions Sources • Some First Nations groups, unlike those in the reading • “A Spiritual Homecoming”, www.legionmagazine.com above, had grave concerns about serving in Canada’s • “Aboriginal Canadians in the Second World War”, Armed Forces during WWI and WWII. Research their www.vac-acc.gc.ca issues and discuss to what extent these issues have been • “Aboriginal Spiritual Journey”, www.vac-acc.gc.ca resolved. • “Aboriginal veterans recall journey of healing”, • Research the Spiritual Journey of 2005, during the www.ctv/ca Year of the Veteran and find out about the “Calling Home Ceremony”. Why do you think these types of • “Cameron Brant”, commemorative events bring significant meaning to www.cbc.ca/new/background/vimy/pdf/YTstudents- those who participate? What other ceremonies or events SoldiersAssignment.pdf. do the same? • “Native Soldiers-Foreign Battlefields: Prince of the • November 8th is Aboriginal Veterans Day and June Brigade”, www.vac-acc.gc.ca 21st is National Aboriginal Day. What does your school • “Tommy Prince”,www.histori.ca/minutes do to commemorate these days? When you plan for Remembrance Day or for the end of the school year, build in a First Nations Commemoration that starts with: ”Today we give thanks …” ATIONS N IRST ~ F EMORIES M EDALS AND 2009: M EMEMBRANCE R EADING AND Image Sources: Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation | Veterans Affairs Canada | Department of National Defence 4 R OF 4 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Dr. Monture continued to serve his country with resources planning for the Korean War and later in peace time for MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES NATO. The strong sense of duty of Dr. Monture, and of all Edith Anderson Monture Joseph Brant’s descendants, stands for all the individuals (1890-1996), a descendant of with First Nations heritage who have gone out of their way Joseph Brant, was born on the Six to serve their country. Nations Grand River Reserve. During a spiritual journey to Europe in 2005, then 18 Unable to study nursing in year old Dakota Brant was studying the Mohawk language Canada, Edith graduated in New of her ancestor Joseph Brant. She found the name of her York State. She was the first Native grand-uncle Cameron Brant on the Menin Gate Memorial Canadian woman to train and among the names of 54,896 Commonwealth soldiers work as a nurse. In 1917, along with 14 other who died in the Ypres Salient during WWI and who have Canadian nurses, she joined the U.S. Medical Corps; no known grave: “You’d have to have a heart of stone not she was one of only two native nurses sent to Vittel, to feel anything”, the young woman told Legion Magazine. France. Anderson spent her time treating shot and gassed soldiers. “We would walk right over where You would have to have a heart of stone not to appreciate there had been fighting. It was an awful sight—build- other First Nations sacrifices—Chief Joe Dreaver who ings in rubble, trees burnt, spent shells all over the earned the Military Medal for bravery in the field in Belgium place, whole towns blown up.” Edith remembered a in WWI and who re-enlisted for WWII; he left his farm in young 20 year old American patient with a neck Saskatchewan bringing 17 men with him, including his wound.”We finally managed to stop the bleeding three sons—John McLeod who served overseas in WWI. and settled the boy down …. The night after that he Of his six sons and one daughter who enlisted in WWII, died. I got his mother’s address in the States and two sons gave their lives and another two were wounded. wrote her telling her I was with her son when he Roughly half the eligible Mi’kmaq and Maliseet men of passed away.” After the war, Edith married and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia signed up in WWII; raised a family working part time as a nurse in the Saskatchewan’s File Hills community sent nearly all its eli- Six Nations Reserve Hospital. gible men to war. Every single man of the Head Lake Band of British Columbia volunteered. In spite of huge communication difficulties of the news of WWII reaching After the Reading into Canada’s far north, 100 Ojibwa from isolated areas north of Thunder Bay, served mostly in the 52nd • What characteristics or qualities did Joseph and Molly Canadian Light infantry Battalion; six were awarded medals for bravery. Brant have that are shared by their descendants? For more than three centuries, individuals like these from the First Nations have modelled duty, loyalty, courage, ATIONS sacrifice, commitment and capability. It is a fitting legacy • Peter Boggis and Dakota Brant are modern young N to remember and a great one upon which to base a IRST ~ F Canadian sense of identity. people who took an interest in First Nations heritage. EMORIES M How was each rewarded by his or her search? EDALS AND

• If you are far from the center of events, you often feel 2009: M

less the need to be involved. Why then did Native EMEMBRANCE R Canadians from the most remote areas feel the need to EADING AND

Ahyouwaighs John Brant and Cameron Douglas Brant serve in war? 4 R OF 3 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE Mohawk Chief and British Military Officer, Joseph Brant, received a MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES silver medal from the British for his When Tommy Prince (1915-1977) was presented the service in French and Indian war Military Medal and Silver Star on behalf of the expeditions such as the 1759 Battle American President by King George VI at of Fort Niagara. Joseph and his sis- Buckingham Palace, he had come a long way from ter Molly became famous during being turned down for military service in Manitoba. the American Revolutionary War for Prince made his name with the elite First Special their loyalty and service to the Service Force dubbed the Devil’s Brigade. In 1944 in British Crown. Molly with her intelli- Italy Prince set up for four days behind enemy lines in gence and knowledge of colonial an abandoned farmhouse to report the location of administration wielded power over German assembly points. When the 1,400 metres of the Mohawk warriors; Joseph, distinguished by his acts of telephone wire connecting him to his forces was bravery and knowledge of native languages, rose to the knocked out, Prince grabbed a hoe and civilian rank of Captain. Both siblings worked tirelessly for native clothing and rejoined the break in the wire while pre- rights within a strong Canada. tending to tie his shoe laces. The citation for his In 1850 the remains of Joseph Brant were carried 55 km Military Medal read, “Sergeant Prince’s courage and in relays on the shoulders of young men of Grand River to utter disregard for personal safety were an inspiration a tomb at Her Majesty’s Chapel of the Mohawks in to his fellows and a marked credit to his unit”. Later in Italy under similarly difficult circumstances, Prince Brantford. reported information that lead the brigade to capture John Brant, like his father Joseph, typified loyalty to the over a thousand German soldiers. British Crown. John, known as Ahyouwaighs, fought against the Americans in the War of 1812. John travelled to London, to appear before parliament and meet with the For a CBC News’ Soldiers Assignment student Peter Boggis king. In 1821 he sought to serve his country as a member from the North West Territories wrote, “I thank you, Cameron of the Canadian Party. He lost his seat for Haldimand to a D. Brant, for the bravery and devotion you showed,/ For rival candidate and both he and his opponent died of the honour, the patriotism, and the love./ For you gave up cholera before Brant could regain his authority over his the greatest gift of all, your life, / For Canada, for free- disputed place in government. dom, and for me. / And I shall never forget it.” Lieutenant Cameron Brant, the great-great-grandson of Cameron D. Brant was one of 17 descendants of Joseph Joseph Brant continued his family’s traditions of service to Brant who served in WWI. The Six Nations recognized the country by going to military school after graduating from accomplishments of another descendant of Joseph Brant, Hagersville High School. He served with the 37th Dr. Gilbert Monture, when they made him honourary chief Regiment, Haldimand Rifles for six years until 1912. with the name Ohstoserakowa—or Big Feather. Dr. ATIONS August 7, 1914, Cameron was the first member of the Six Monture provided service to his country during three wars. N IRST Nations Reserve to enlist. He received a lieutenant’s com- Monture, a 1.83 metre tall engineering student postponed : ~ F mission while assigned to the 4th Infantry Battalion in his studies in 1917 to become a gunner in the Royal

Valcartier, Quebec; the battalion shipped out for Europe EMORIES

Canadian Field Artillery. He was commissioned as a lieu- M October 3, 1914, as part of the first Canadian contingent tenant in the Royal Canadian Engineers but was too late to go overseas. to see battlefield action. After WWI, Monture served in the EDALS AND Lieutenant Brant was killed April 23, 1915, when he led militia for five years as a lieutenant. When WWII broke

his men “over the top” at the Battle of Ypres in Belgium. out, Dr. Monture was prevented from serving due to a 2009: M Brant, who always led by example, did not shirk in the hand injury he’d suffered in a mining accident. Instead, he face of a fierce German attack which had been preceded became the Canadian Executive Officer of the combined EMEMBRANCE by the release of poison gas. His commanding officer said Canadian, American and British Production and Resources R of him that, “The boys will follow him anywhere.” His body Board allocating strategic minerals for the war effort— was never recovered. work for which he received an Order of the British Empire. EADING AND 4 R OF 2 ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE MEDALS AND MEMORIES: First Nations

Character Education • Explore multiple perspectives to achieve consensus on universal attributes • Develop common ground on the values we share as Canadians • Learn to think critically about the world • Increase levels of personal and social responsibility

Facts MEDALS AND MEMORIES MINUTES • More than 7000 persons, then called Indians, served Francis Pegahmagabow in WWI, WWII and the Korean War, along with an (1891-1952) three times awarded unknown number of Métis and other individuals with the Military Medal in WWI was an expert marksman and scout credited First Nations heritage with killing up to 378 Germans and capturing 300 more. The Ojibwa • Francis Pegahmagabow, from Ontario was the most from Parry Island was twice wound- highly decorated Canadian native in WWI; among his ed but willingly returned to his unit after recovery. His many medals was the Military Medal with two bars for citation for the Battle of Passchendaele reads, “November 6th/7th, 1917, this NCO did excellent bravery work. Before and after the attack he kept in touch • Tommy Prince from Manitoba earned 11 medals dur- with the flanks, advising the units he had seen, this information proving the success of the attack and ing WWII and Korea including the American Silver Star saving valuable time in consolidating.” Francis served for gallantry in the Algonquin Regiment after 1919, as chief of the Parry Island Band 1921–1925 and as Supreme Chief of the Native Independent Government in 1943. Before the Reading

Joseph Boyden’s 2005 novel Three Day Road was ATIONS N

• What do you know about Joseph Brant or Molly Brant inspired in part by Pegahmagabow. IRST

or any other First Nations persons who in the past : ~ F Reading #1 – A Fighting Tradition served Canada in war and peace? EMORIES M Remembrance Day provides opportunities to celebrate the • If you could award medals, or create a new medal for contributions of those who forged Canada’s values EDALS AND service to Canada, what would you call your medal and throughout its history. What better place to start than with

what criteria would you set for earning the medal? the service of Canada’s First Nations. The Brant family 2009: M provides glimpses of long ago battles and important ways • How may you serve your country even without wear- First Nations contributed to Canadians evolving sense of EMEMBRANCE ing its uniforms? identity. R EADING AND 4 R OF 1 Reading and Remembrance 2009 | ReadingAndRemembrance.ca PAGE ReadingAndRemembrance.ca CC

LET SCHOOLS RING OUT WITH YOUNG VOICES READING TO REMEMBER WHO CONTRIBUTES TO OUR FREEDOMS 2009 READING AND REMEMBRANCE: MEDALS AND MEMORIES

Those who contributed to maintaining Canada’s free democratic society in the past have many memories just as Canada’s current service people do. The provincial project Reading and Remembrance 2009 relates moving memories and features the bravery and dedication of those who were awarded medals. Imagine thousands of Ontario school children simultaneously honouring our veterans, and showing the importance of reading and remembering the various contributions to our country’s war efforts. To register as a participating school contact ReadingAndRemembrance.ca

November 11, 2009 @ 2:11 P.M.

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca

External link on Wikipedia article for “Silver Cross Mother”

On front page of www.westvirgina.watchdog.org for Nov. 11, 2009

On the websites of the Durham West Arts Centre, Mary Cook, Ennio Paola and Angie Littlefield

Thanks to OPG and other supporters, Canada’s Reading and Remembrance has become visibly identified with reading, veterans and diversity.

Promotional Reach of Reading and Remembrance 2009

Ontario Power Generation, the founding and supporting sponsor of Reading and Remembrance, promoted the project through its affiliates. With the newswire Press Release that OPG sponsored and through the support of partners, the promotional reach of Reading and Remembrance 2009 was astounding. To say that 300,000 people in Ontario, across Canada and in the U.S. became aware of this project in 2009 is a conservative number.

Especially noteworthy is that due to the focus on Native Canadians and Inuit lessons and support of the office of Mark Holland M.P. for the translation of all 10 lessons into French, the project reached Canada’s premier national aboriginal newswire and Telbec a major bilingual news distributor.

Below is a summary of the promotional reach of the 2009 project.

Feature article in Vol. 27, Issue 3 of SLIC, School Libraries in Canada, the online journal of the Canadian Association of School Libraries. This organization which has published three editions annually since 1980, receives 57,512 visitors and has 400,000 pages viewed on their site.

On www.canadianbusiness.com -news, opinion, and community for business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors

On www.nationtalk.ca Canada’s premier national aboriginal newswire …

On www.telbec.com, part of Groupe CNW which provides bilingual services across Canada. “Groupe CNW est le principal fournisseur de services de diffusion de communiqués au Canada offrant un service bilingue et pouvant compter sur un vaste reseau en mesure de joindre les prinicipaux medias et marches a l’echelle local, nationale, et international.

On www.reportonbusiness.com and www.globeinvestor.com, Globe and Mail news services

Featured on Coutts Canadian-Flavoured Education News on Oct 16, 2009, a university of Alberta blog page that highlights current information, issues, news, trends and research relevant to the Canadian Education community

On website “Outside News: Instruction and School Services” a news aggregator which gathers and disseminates news and information from the Canadian Education Association, Coutts Canadian Education News, Edutopia and Education Canada

On website GEC Computers in the Classroom: Remembrance Day Resources

On www.theclaw.ca Canadore College’s online newpaper prepared by journalism students

On www.picnet.org and sent by them to LISTSERVE for public libraries across Ontario

In Ontario Historical Society Bulletin which goes to all OHS affiliates across the province of Ontario

In Artscene the arts newsletter that serves the arts community in Durham Region and beyond

On website www.northumberlandtoday.com weekly update

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca

In November we did an e-mail survey with participating educators about this Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week project

Questions

Will recommend this project to your colleges? Will you look for more on-line material on our website again next year?

Responses

Thank you for what you told us about this project Thanks very much for the very useful resources I will definitely advise colleagues to visit this site, to get excellent resources. I look forward to next year’s site. Will recommend this project to your colleges absolutely! This is a wonderful site with excellent information for educator and student alike. I especially liked being able to access archived lessons. Will you look for more on-line material on our website again next year. I most definitely would. It is very hard to find material with a Canadian focus and that is balanced according to gender/ethnocultural identity etc. ... You have a wonderful resource. Yes I would definitely recommend this to colleagues. Our ceremony centred around a presentation by a student who was completing her History 10 credit. She based her pres around the "women in the war" lessons from, I think, the 2007 series. I would be happy to use your website next year. Yes, I would recommend this project and yes I will be looking for more on-line materials next year Will recommend this project to your colleges? Yes, absolutely! Will you look for more on-line material on our website again next year? Definitely! Do you have a number for how many schools participated in the programme? I would like to tell my students that they took part in something big. The answers from Sacred Heart are Yes and Yes. Thank you for compiling resources for us to use that are current, insightful and powerful mediums of the message that we can convey to the generation in formation! Yes, definitely. I forwarded the information to all of the Canadian and World Studies heads in our board Will you look for more on-line material on our website again next year. Yes, the information was quite interesting. My grade three class performed the Flander’s Fields reading for our school’s Remembrance Day service ... Thank you for including it on your site.

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca

Reading and Remembrance 2009: Medals and Memories

MEASURING SUCCESS of materials

Ten bilingual lessons in 2009. Thirty archived lessons, some bilingual. Teachers downloaded the top three 2009 lessons over 4,000 times. Calculating that each lesson reached at least 20 students, that’s an estimate of 80,000 students before calculating in the numbers for the other 7 lessons for 2009 and use of lessons from previous years 107 French posters downloaded. With 12 French language school boards and 377 French language schools in Ontario, that number of posters signifies penetration into 1/3 of the French language schools in Ontario IN ONE YEAR Teacher comments highlighted Canadian content and use of materials for whole school projects

MEASURING SUCCESS of project penetration

Presentation to provincial representatives of Ontario School Librarians on OSLA Board Email to several hundred former participants from 2005 to 2008 Letters to Directors of Education of all school boards in Ontario Article in Ontario Historical Society newsletter and info on OHS website Listserv to public librarians in Ontario and information on the Pickering Library website Info on DWAC website and in an article in PRAC’s Artscene OPG media release on newswire and to OPG affiliates Feature article in The Ontario Library Association newsletter distributed across Canada Director of the Durham District School Board endorsed program across Board

Conservatively speaking, the project promotion touched hundreds of thousands. With the 50% increase in official 2009 participation (in both official languages), it is reasonable to expect that with positive word of mouth recommendations that the project will reach over 100,000 students in 2010.

Based on the heavy and continuous download of material, we feel that we are conservative in calculating the number of participants. The strong cry for Canadian materials dealing with First Nations, Women and novelties such as animals involved with war, indicates that we need to generate even more lessons along this line.

It is important that Reading and Remembrance 2010 lives up to the high level of expectation that this project has generated.

ReadingAndRemembrance.ca READING AND St. Andrew’s CS, St. Andrew’s West St. Augustine, Ottawa REMEMBRANCE St. Columban’s, Cornwall St. Edward School, Westport St. George CS, Long Sault 2 0 0 9 St. James the Greater CS, Smith Falls St. Jean de Brebeuf CHS, Stoney Creek MEDALS AND MEMORIES St. John Bosco CS, Brockville St. John CS, Perth St. John Fisher CS, Forest St. Joseph Sacred Heart CES, North Bay Assikinack PS, Barrie St. Joseph School, Wawa Assumption ES, Vanier St. Joseph, Toledo Beamsville District Secondary, Beamsville St. Joseph’s Catholic SS, Cornwall Christian Island ES, Christian Island St. Kevin CS, Welland Churchill PS, Toronto St. Louis School, Keewatin Colonel John Butler PS, NOTL St. Luke Catholic ES (Nepean), Ottawa Corpus Christi CS, North Bay St. Luke Catholic HS, Smith Falls Devins Drive PS, Aurora St. Mark CS, Prescott Dr. Roberta Bondar PS, Ajax St. Mary CHS, Brockville Earl of March SS, Kanata St. Mary, Massey E.W. Foster PS, Milton St. Mary-St. Cecilia, Morrisburg Fielding Drive PS, Ottawa St. Nicholas School, Bolton Glen Street PS, Oshawa St. Patrick CS, Niagara Falls Guardian Angels CS, Stittsville St. Paul ES, Stoney Creek Hewitt’s Creek PS, Barrie St. Peter, Cornwall Holy Cross School, Kempville St. Stephen CS, Stittsville Holy Name CS, Welland St. Thomas CES, Waterdown Holy Name of Mary, Almonte St. Vincent de Paul CS, Niagara Falls

Holy Redeemer, Kanata St. Finnan CS, Alexandria Library | ReadingAndRemembrance.ca Public Arts Centre, Mark Holland MP and Pickering rary Association, Durham West Holy Trinity CSS, Cornwall Sunset Park PS, North Bay Hullett Central PS, Londesborough T.R. McEwen PS, Oshawa Immaculate Conception, Cornwall Tom Thomson PS, Burlington J.H. Putman PS, Ottawa Valley Way PS, NOTL Jacob Beam, Beamsville Venerable John Merlini ES, Toronto James Strath PS, Peterborough Virgil PS, Virgil Jeanne Sauvé CS, Stratford W. D. Sutton, London Kingsville District HS, Kingsville W. E. Gowling PS, Ottawa Lincoln Avenue PS, Ajax Waterdown District HS, Waterdown Listowel District SS, Listowel Westlane SS, Niagara Falls Monsignor Clancy School, Thorold Durham DSB Library Mother St. Bride School, North Bay Near North DSB Library Mother Teresa, St. Catharines Northeastern Catholic DSB Near North Youth Centre, North Bay Trillium Lakelands DSB Niagara District SS, NOTL Oakville Trafalgar HS, Oakville LECTURE ET Our Lady of Fatima CS, Belleville Our Lady of Fatima, Grimsby SOUVENIR Our Lady of Good Counsel, Ingleside Pauline Johnson, Burlington MÉDAILLES ET Peter Gzowski Library, Sutton West Pope John Paul II, Hammond Riverview Alternative, Ottawa SOUVENIRS Sacred Heart CS, Cornwall South Huron District HS, Exeter 2 0 0 9 St. Patrick Catholic ES, Rockland Project Managers: Angie Littlefield and Mary Cook | Partners: Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Historical Society, Ontario Lib Generation, Ontario Historical Society, Ontario Power Managers: Angie Littlefield and Mary Cook | Partners: Project