Vancouver will once again host a White Poppies Remembrance Day Ceremony called Let Peace Be There Remembrance at the Unitarian Church on Oak and 49th Ave at 2pm.
This years key note speaker will be Ellen Woodsworth, a long time peace activist and former Vancouver City Councilor. The program will also feature Norine Braun a Metis Canadian Singer Song writer.
The white poppy has been worn to mark Remembrance Day as a symbol of remembrance and peace. White poppies are worn every year by thousands of people across the world.
They were first produced in 1933 in the aftermath of the First World War, by members of the Co-operative Women’s Guild. Many of these women had lost family and friends in the First World War. They wanted to hold on to the key message of Remembrance Day, ‘never again’.
White poppies stand for three things.
Remembrance of all victims of war, including both civilians and members of the armed forces. We remember people of all nationalities. We remember those killed in wars happening now, as well as in the past. We also remember those who are often excluded from the mainstream, such as refugees and victims of colonial conflicts.
Challenging war and militarism, as well as any attempt to glorify or celebrate war. White poppies encourage us to question the way war is normalised and justified. They remind us of the need to resist war and its causes today.
A commitment to peace and to seeking nonviolent solutions to conflict. By drawing attention to the devastating human cost of war, white poppies highlight the urgency of our ongoing struggle for peace.
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