Remembrance Day is a solemn day in which we as Canadians pay respect to those brave men and women that served and are serving this country abroad. Service men and women have defended freedom, democracy, and liberty in every corner of the globe over the past century. They marched through water, enemy bullets, and mud to secure Normandy. They faced German forces at the tragic Battle of Somme, fought in the dense and rugged terrain of Korea, and they continue to fight and persevere in the deserts of Afghanistan.

This Remembrance Day we, the next generation of Canadians, must take the torch from our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. We must carry on the desire for a peaceful and free world and hold that torch high above our heads. We must never let that flame of courage, sacrifice, and selflessness extinguish in the winds of today’s world. We are free because they fought for our freedom.  

Sometimes we overlook the many liberties that have been passed onto us. We must always remember the soldiers that fought for our rights but we should also respect the rights and freedom we gained from their sacrifice. Our freedom to express ourselves openly and our right to vote are frequently overlooked.  

How many people chose not to vote in the last election? Millions of Canadians chose to fight for that right for you, for me, and for everyone in this country and around the globe.

Kyle Morrow