Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, families, religious leaders and students gathered Tuesday at the National Field of Honour cemetery in Pointe-Claire to mark Holocaust Remembrance during Yom HaShoah.
The ceremony, organized in collaboration with the National Field of Honour and the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation of Quebec, also honoured 98 Canadian Jewish veterans and allies buried at the military cemetery.
Students from Rosemere High School joined community members in what organizers described as a shared act of remembrance aimed at preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations.
Rocco Speranza, Quebec coordinator with No Stone Left Alone, said the day carries deep significance as communities come together to honour victims of the Holocaust.
“It’s an important day to remember the victims of the Holocaust. It’s many years ago, but the world is at war. There’s peace in many places, but it’s missing many places as well,” he said.
Speranza said the ceremony also includes symbolic acts of remembrance involving students and veterans buried at the site.
“To remember the victims of the Holocaust and the 96 Canadian Jews and allies buried here who fought for peace and freedom, it’s important. So we recall that they lost their lives through the Holocaust. Many students here today are the torch lighters, the bearers of the future in peace.”
He added that placing stones at grave markers is part of both cultural tradition and the organization’s mission.
“It’s important to lay a stone at the marker of the fallen because when the students do so, suggestion of remembrance, it’s part of the Jewish Hebrew culture and it’s part of No Stone Left Alone mission as well,” he said.
“We are a place alone and we call it the name of the veteran and ally buried there.”
Former lieutenant-colonel Michel Bourque said remembrance ceremonies remain essential in a world facing ongoing uncertainty.
“It is always special to have moments of remembrance and I think it’s necessary as a society to have these moments because the world is a complicated place right now,” he said.
Bourque said reflecting on past conflicts is key to understanding the value of peace.
“We have to remember where we came from and obviously throughout the years, in the late last 100 years, we had so many conflicts that we know what is the price of peace.”
He also pointed to the significance of the National Field of Honour itself.
“There’s over 20,000 veterans here and their families that are buried here,” he said. “And this cemetery is really there as a testament to the sacrifice of so many of our Canadians. And of course, our fellow countrymen coming from different nationalities, different beliefs, and today is a special day for the Jewish community, which we will again preserve.”
Former Canadian Armed Forces sergeant Lech Kwasiborski said the ceremony plays a vital role in educating younger generations who no longer have direct ties to Second World War survivors.
“I think the memorial is very, very important for the youth of nowadays. We have come to a point in our life where the generation does not have a direct contact to people who were involved,” he said.
“When I grew up in the 50s, most of the people I knew were involved in the Second World War, be they as active members in armed forces or back home, but they knew the tragedies of what had happened. And a lot of the people did not want to talk about the sadness at that time and they did not want to bring it down to their children.”
He stressed the importance of preserving historical memory.
“Jistory has to be recorded and it has to be remembered that there’s a price to pay for maljustice.”
Students from Rosemere High School said participating in the ceremony reinforced the importance of remembering the Holocaust and learning about its impact.
“The Holocaust was such a horrible time for so many people, it really pretty much destroyed a whole group of people. It is very important not to forget that group of people,” one student said.
“It’s just extremely heartbreaking hearing about what they went through as people. As human beings, they just weren’t treated as human beings. It’s important to recognize that.”
Another student said the experience carried lasting meaning.
“It honestly means a lot. It’s a very important event and it’s important that we remember these events and times like this and that we don’t forget about them.”
