11/11/2023
Armistice Day, or “Remembrance Day” as it has come to be known, originated following the end of the First World War. The Armistice agreement was signed between Germany and the Allied Forces in Paris on Monday, 11 November 1918, at 0500 hours. The ceasefire went into effect at 1100 hours the same morning. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The first Armistice Day was observed in 1919. On November 6th, in the House of Commons, the then-acting Prime Minister of Canada, Sir George Foster, read a message from King George V addressed “to all peoples of the Empire”.
The following is his letter:
“To all my people:
Tuesday next, November 11th, is the first anniversary of the armistice, which stayed the world-wide carnage of the four proceeding years, and marked the victory of right and freedom. I believe that my people in every part of the Empire fervently wish to perpetuate the memory of that great deliverance and of those who laid down their lives to achieve it.
To afford an opportunity for the universal expression of this feeling it is my desire and hope that at the hour when the Armistice came into force, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, there may be for the brief space of two minutes, a complete suspension of all our normal activities. During that time, except in rare cases where this may be impractical, all work, all sound and all locomotion should cease, so that in perfect stillness the thoughts of every one may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.”
In Canada, from sea to sea, at precisely 1100 hours local time, all businesses, factories, schools, offices and even traffic came to a halt for the two minutes of silence.
November 11. The most unforgettable day of the year. I recognize and honour those who served and continue to serve to restore peace and security. Follow to find your local Remembrance Day Ceremony.
