Students across Saskatchewan commemorate Remembrance Day

Silence filled the auditorium at St. Joseph High School on Saturday as hundreds of students gathered to honor the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers, from the First World War to Afghanistan.

"We as a school found it important to commemorate and pay our respects to those who served for us, to give us the freedoms that we have," said history teacher Franco Saldo.

Student cadets participated in the ceremony, bearing flags and laying wreaths for the fallen.

"I think Remembrance Day is just a good way to honor fallen soldiers and make sure they're not forgotten since they risked their lives for us," said student cadet Tomi Odele.

At E.D. Feehan Catholic High School, students sang hymns of remembrance.

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Teacher David Snell said that with rising global tensions, it’s more critical than ever to teach the lessons of history.

"I think now more than ever it's important to teach our students about these events because there's so much conflict and pain in the world right now," Snell said. "For a lot of our students growing up in Canada, they've never seen conflict."

The day also marks Indigenous Veterans Day. Shirley Arcand, whose family saw nine brothers fight in World War II, highlighted the challenges Indigenous veterans have faced.

"We were not treated as equals most of our lives," Arcand said. "Farmers got land when they got back, but not the Indigenous people. They were put on reserves, and we didn’t get the things we were promised. It's very important we keep their memories alive."

For students, the hope is that understanding the sacrifices of the past will help maintain peace in the future.