Educational Resources

The How We Remember Contest received hundreds of submissions from across the country on the subject of Canada’s role in the First and Second World Wars. Here, you can view the winning art and writing submissions.
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group winner page

  • The Winning Group: Students of Mr. Sylvain Prévost of the Jean Paul II Elementary School in Val Caron, ON.
  • Le groupe gagnant : Les étudiants de M. Sylvain Prévost de l’école élémentaire Jean Paul II à Val Caron, ON.
  • Name of the work / le nom du travail: « On se SOUVIENT pour qu'on SOIT bien »
Posted by CSCNO on Sunday, November 8, 2015

Un groupe d’élèves de la 5e à la 8e année de l’École élémentaire Jean-Paul II de Val Caron, Ontario, a préparé une danse à l’occasion du Jour du Souvenir. La danse, intitulée, “ la prière” avait comme objectif d’amener les élèves à réfléchir à la signification du Jour du Souvenir.

“Je voulais participer car j’aime danser, c’est ma passion, et d’exprimer un message puissant est une motivation personnelle” dit Karine Boucher, élève de 8e année, chorégraphe.

Comment se souvenir? Le 11 novembre, c’est important d’arrêter et de prendre un moment pour se souvenir des sacrifices pour l’humanité.

Jessica Rivard, élève de 7e année, nous partage que “le Jour du Souvenir est pour moi, un moment où on remercie les soldats pour nous avoir donné un pays libre”.

À la fin de la danse, les garçons, représentant les soldats, font allusion qu’ils quittent... vers leur destination... vers un autre monde... vers le sacrifice de leur vie... Les filles, représentant les familles des soldats, veulent la paix, prient pour l’espoir et recherchent la force de continuer tous les jours pour qu’on soit bien. “En participant à la danse, j’ai pu aider aux gens à se souvenir de toutes les personnes qui ont perdu leur vie afin que nous soyons en paix” dit Adrian Signoretti.

Des pétales de fleurs ont été ajoutés à la danse pour ajouter à la puissance du message : le blanc signifiant l’espoir et la pureté, et le rouge signifiant le coquelicot et surtout les sacrifices des soldats.

Alors, comment se souvenir? Reconnaître les gens qui ont travaillé, de loin ou de proche, pour apporter la paix dans le monde.

The Canadian Encyclopedia

The Canadian Encyclopedia is the most authoritative and comprehensive reference of all things Canadian for students, readers and scholars. The Encyclopedia contains detailed articles on both world wars as well as specialized articles on topics such as war brides, specific battles and the war experience in Canada.

The Memory Project

The Memory Project allows veterans to share their experiences of military service with schools and community groups. The project’s online archive, the largest of its kind in Canada, contains a wealth of veterans’ testimonies, documents, photographs and classroom learning tools for educators.

Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum website includes timelines, archival photos, war art displays and a collection of war propaganda. Check out the online exhibitions called “Canada and the First World War” and “Canada and the Second World War.”

Veterans Affairs Canada: The First World War

A website featuring detailed background information on battles, the home front, a video archive and biographies of prominent Canadians who served in the war.

The Vimy Foundation

The Foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting Canada’s First World War legacy as symbolized with the victory at Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Their website houses a summary of Canada’s involvement at Vimy as well as an extensive bibliography of resources for further research.

Veterans Affairs Canada: The Second World War

A comprehensive website featuring detailed background information on battles, the home front, and war remembrance. The site also contains a lengthy list of additional online resources.

Juno Beach Centre

Located in Normandy, France, the Centre pays homage to Canada’s participation in the Second World War. This website contains an online museum of the Canadian war effort, a collection of biographies and resources for educators.

Heritage Minutes

The acclaimed Heritage Minutes are one-minute movies that portray important stories from Canada’s past. Several Heritage Minutes highlight histories of Canada’s involvement in the world wars.

The National Film Board of Canada: Images of a Forgotten War (Video and Image Archive)

120 archival films of the Canadian Expeditionary Force accompanied by photos, historical essays by noted Canadian experts and a range of teaching materials.

Library and Archives Canada: Oral Histories of the First World War

An oral history and photography archive of soldiers’ experiences during the First World War, which includes unmediated testimonies from soldiers who experienced trench warfare.

Aboriginal People in the Canadian Military: The World Wars

A comprehensive summary of Aboriginal peoples involvement in both world wars.

Parks Canada: Enemy Aliens, Prisoners of War: Canada’s First World War Internment Operations, 1914-1920

A Summary of the internment of people of Eastern European heritage during World War I.

Democracy at War: Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War

An online archive of over 144,000 historical newspaper articles published in Canada during the Second World War collected by the Hamilton Spectator Newspaper.

On All Fronts: World War II and the NFB

Discover several of the National Film Board of Canada’s films related to the Second World War.