Why Remember?

Today we honoured the men and women who served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace at our Remembrance Day Chapel.

It is important to remember the sacrifices and achievements of the one and a half million brave Canadians who served, and continue to serve, our country at home and abroad, and the more than 118,000 men and women who died so that we may live in peace and freedom today. Taking an active role to remember these people is one way to say "thank you."

One of our own alumni, Alya Chase (class of 2014) has said thank you in her own way. She has joined the Canadian Armed Forces and is currently attending The Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. Ayla will be deployed upon her graduation in 2021.

Audra Chase, Ayla's mom and TCS Admissions Coordinator, shared her perspective today at chapel as to why we need to remember. Excerpts from Audra Chase words at our chapel today.

“We remember because God commands us to!” The bible uses the word “remember” over 230 times! Sometimes, God wanted the people to remember Him and all the good and amazing things He had done. Sometimes, people in the past did bad things and made big mistakes and God wanted the people to remember that so they wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

Remembering or recalling things in the past is something that is very important for us to do!

This is a photo of tombstones at a place called Vimy Ridge in France (see below). We are talking about why we remember. Well, all of the soldiers that are laid to rest here in this cemetery lost their lives fighting in WWI. That happened just over 100 years ago. They were fighting for the freedom and liberty of all the people who lived in that region. If we don’t stop and take the time to remember what they did, why they gave up their lives, what they fought for… then they died for nothing. If we remember, like God asks us to, then hopefully, we won’t make the same mistakes. Hopefully, we will honour those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy now.

Yes, that’s a real gun (see photo below)! Ayla, my daughter, has said that she is also willing to lay her life down, if necessary, so that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms we have here in Canada. Did you know that being able to come here to a school like TCS is one of those freedoms? In many other places around the world, a school like TCS would be illegal. It would not be allowed to exist because we teach about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. That can be hard for us to believe here in Canada but it’s very true. People today are still losing their lives just to have the opportunity to tell others about Jesus and how much He loves them.

I’m so very thankful that TCS makes our Remembrance Day chapel so important. That’s because it IS important. The sacrifice made by any service person who puts their life in danger to protect others is WORTH remembering. I hope my daughter NEVER needs to fight in a war like those soldiers. But if she does, I will be so very proud that she chose to serve and protect the Canadian people. Proud that she chose to stand for freedom and ALWAYS REMEMBER.

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Thank you to our classes who led us today in our service. Your depiction of life as a soldier was well done and moving. Thank you as well to our grade one classes who recited "In Flanders Fields".

Our chapel finished with the song, Remembrance Day Canada ('Soldiers Cry' by Roland Majeau)

SchoolGuide Link to Photos