So quicky they seem to forget.

A security officer at the Bay outside of Yonge and Bloor in Toronto has kicked a veteran off of their property for selling poppies.

While out and about renewing my car insurance and shopping this morning I was disappointed to see that I was the only person I encountered under retirement age wearing a poppy. As the ranks continue to shrink this trend becomes more and more concerning.

I am a student at RMC. My husband is currently serving. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather served. Each of these men have, at the call of their country, left friends and family to answer the call of their respective nations. They’ve given of themselves in ways that others can’t imagine.

Selling poppies in Canada helps fund services to our veterans. The Legion has spent years and much money to educate those of us too young to remember about the horrors of war and our past. Wearing the poppy is a way to show that we have heard their message and will not forget the sacrifice of those who have gone before us.

I’m ashamed of the treatment this veteran received at the hands of employees of the Bay. Worse, I recognize that this will not be the last time this behavior occurs this year or in the future.

Buy a poppy. Support care for our veterans. Remember.

Anyone fancy a nightly trip down to the Ledge beginning next week?

A remarkable vigil to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the World War I armistice will be held across Canada and in London, England.

From the Vigil website:

The Vigil The vigil will take place at the Alberta Legislature. As with every vigil, it runs for seven nights, starting at 5:00pm each evening, The first name appears at 5:15pm. Each night’s vigil will be 13 hours long, ending at sunrise the following day. The vigil will then recommence at 5:00pm and run another 13 hours. The last name will appear as dawn breaks on November 11th.

The Names The vigil will commence in Edmonton November 4th 2008. More than 9,700 names will appear each night. Each individual name will appear only once during the seven nights. The names include those killed in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Canadian Merchant Navy and the Canadian Army Medical Corps. The names appear in the same sequence in each vigil location.

Searching The Names To find the exact night and time when a specific name will appear, use the Search Names tab located at the top of this page. The names appearing in the vigil will have no order or ranking. Each man or woman was equal in death.

Vigil Locations This vigil is also taking place in other Canadian cities and in London, England. You can access these vigils by using the Time Zones, Ottawa or London tabs located above. We encourage you to attend in person or to view the simultaneous vigil presentations created on each region’s webpage.

Educational Opportunities The History Society is helping to organize local schools and community groups to animate all of the vigil sites. If interested in participating in the vigil go to www.historysociety.ca/vigil. Teachers are encouraged to explore the educational resources available for classes at the website.

Lest we forget.

For those who are unable to attend a live event, the Vigil will be streamed live on the Internet at the Vigil 1914-1918 Web site.

h/t: Mark over at the Torch.

I remember waking up that morning thinking it was just another day at work. I remember thinking it was a beautiful morning in Winnipeg and laughing along to Tom and Joe on the radio as I drove into work. I remember the shock of hearing the first plane had crashed into a tower while on Kenaston, a few feet from Scurfield. I remember driving into the parking lot and sitting in my car, waiting for more news.

I remember walking into the office thinking it was a tragic accident and feeling heartbroken for the family members of those on the plane. I remember thinking that the damage to the office and resulting injuries would likely be minimal.

I remember logging into my computer and starting my work day. I remember the commotion on the production floor when the second plane hit. I had barely sat down at my desk. I did not stay.

I remember standing in the lunch room, glued to CNN, watching in disbelief as both towers collapsed. I don’t remember leaving there for hours.

I remember the panic in the voices of US based co-workers. I remember learning we had offices in one of the towers.

I remember customers calling – reaching out – just to hear another human voice on the line. I remember that we talked to each and every one of them, no matter how long it took.

I remember the news that planes were being diverted and receiving a quick phone call from my hubby telling me he had no idea when he would be allowed to return home. I remember hearing that members of 402 Sqn at 17 Wing were guarding three planes on the base side of the airport. I remember he didn’t come home for three days and how sympathetic he was for the people forced to remain on the aircraft while he and his fellow soldiers patrolled the tarmac.

Many forget that not every passenger on those diverted planes were allowed to disembark and find temporary housing in hotels, schools and people’s homes. I remember.

I remember sitting in my living room reaching out via telephone for help making sense of what had happened. I remember feeling the world was slipping sideways. I remember talking to my dad – he who grew up during the blitz and had survived many an air raid and bombing in London during WWII – hoping for answers and gaining none.

It has been seven years. Just as I have never forgotten Tiananmen, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Challenger disaster, I will never forget 9-11.

May the tragic loss of life as a result of terrorist actions in New York on September 11, 2005 never be forgotten. Each life was special. Each loss devastating to friends, family and co-workers.

Je me souviens. I remember.

Lately I’ve been reading a number of books that might not have crossed my threshold. I blame it on the evils of mandatory History and Political Science/Civics courses. After spending a bazillion $$ on textbooks and custom course packs (CanCopy fees mostly) someone in the class invariably recommends a book. I’m finding myself spending time arranging to get my hot little hands on them. Sometimes through a library. Sometimes it’s on loan from a friend. Other times I haunt second hand bookstores or use up my Chapter’s gift certificates.

Since I’ve always been a fan of science fiction and fantasy, getting me to read a non-fiction book tends to involve school, grades, or pulling teeth. Thus, it should come as no surprise to anyone that most of the books I’ve been reading lately may never have made their way onto my nightstand without the poking and prodding of friends or fellow classmates.

This week I’ve been reading Mark Steyn’s America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It wherein western society is doomed to fall to the wayside in favour of nation-states based on Islamic law through a lack of breeding (demographics) and a post-judeo-christian ethos. Or so I think. I’m only about 1/2 through the book at the moment.

Last week I was reading Patrick O’Donnell’s We Were One. One of the ex-army guys in our neighbourhood recommended it after many, many beers. It follows members of 3/1 Lima company (part of the US Marines Thundering Third) through the battle of Fallujah. Perhaps it’s a hold-over from my smallish sense of nationalism and patriotism but my reaction to this book is not the same as my reaction to Blatchford’s Fifteen Days. When I was reading Blatchford’s book I never felt sorry for the troops we sent to Afghanistan. I never had a sense that those who choose to serve in the Canadian Forces may not have had any other options open to them. Perhaps it’s the difference in age of many of the soldiers Blatchford wrote about. Maybe it’s the difference in the average education level of our “grunts” as opposed to Marine “grunts”. Perhaps I’m blinded by my own bias. Most of the time reading We Were One was spent feeling extremely sorry for the soldiers O’Donnell followed during his journey. I had a sense that no one in this group of soldiers would ask questions. They wouldn’t balk at commands or suggest alternate ways of approaching a situation. They would simply die without ever really understanding why they were there.

Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, Christie Blatchford’s Fifteen Days has become one of my new favourite books. Like O’Donnell, Blatchford spent time with many of the soldier’s she writes about. She also makes every effort to “tell it like it is”. While appearing more sparingly in Blatchford’s book than in O’Donnell’s (not all that difficult actually) cursing does appear prominently in a number of the pages. Oral histories and reflections are gathered. And yet, Blatchford’s writing seems more genuine than O’Donnell’s. While O’Donnell’s book focuses mostly on the soliders and provides little back history, Blatchford tells the soldier’s story from a number of vantage points. We learn who they were before, during, and after battles. Family and friends play a prominent role in the stories of those who were injured or died. And the soldiers themselves are more articulate. They are their best public relations machine; able to explain the roles they are filling and why (from a personal and professional standpoint). I wish I could explain it better but words seem to be failing me today. I just know that while I may have laughed and cried during the reading of both Blatchford and O’Donnell’s books my end reaction to both was significantly different.

Carol Off’s The Ghosts of Medak Pocket has been the victim of “pick it up, put it down” reading behaviours for the past few weeks. She’s an excellent author and I’m finding her book both fascinating and incredibly frustrating. Mostly it’s in reaction to the blind eye (or outright ignorance) of most Canadians to the political interference hyphenated Canadians play in other nations. More than Steyn’s book, Off’s presents a strong argument (wittingly or not) regarding the abject failure of multi-culturalism and pluralism in Canadian immigrant society.

Sometime this week I’m expecting Kevin Patterson’s Outside The Wire to arrive from Chapters. I understand that it’s the Canadian equivalent of We Were One in so far as it’s a collection of oral histories from individuals serving in combat situations. In true Canadian fashion the book isn’t limited to telling only the soldier’s side of the story. It is said to also contain copies of letters home and interviews/text from non-governmental organizations (NGO) representatives.

No wonder I barely have time to do my required readings for courses!

While I’m on the subject of books – I’m really not impressed with the government’s allocation of tax credits for textbooks and expenses for part-time students. I (thankfully) don’t qualify for student loans anymore because I’m working full-time. We’re bearing the costs of my return to the hallowed halls with grimace firmly in place. As a part-time student I get to claim 120$ a month while I’m in school, as opposed to full-time students who (more likely to qualify for loans and less likely to be working a full-time job) receive a 400$ a month tax credit. Full-time students can claim 65$ a month for textbooks while, as a part-time student, I’m limited to 20$ a month. Those with student loans also get the “added benefit” of a tax credit for the interest paid when they repay their loans.

Do you realize how depressing it is to pay between 150$-300$ for textbooks in a course (I’m finding most courses have very expensive custom course packs as opposed to books you could find elsewhere or purchase used) and only be able to claim 20$ a month for the duration of the courses. Of course most of these are core courses – which means I don’t have the ability to opt not to take them. If I don’t complete my core courses I don’t qualify for the pretty little degree at the end of the process. Let’s not do the math or I might start crying in my coffee mug. Just remember that in an average semester I take 2 courses and am enrolled year round (one week break between semesters). Tuition is approx 515$ a course (x6/year). Textbooks for the courses range between 150$-300$ per class.

Apparently part-time students’ (without student loans) mortgage payments, utilities, transportation, food, vet bills, etc., aren’t significant enough to warrant a more equal footing for calculating tax credits.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be eligable for student loans. Been there/done that the first time I went through university. Took me far too many years to pay off. I just miss the tuition and textbook re-imbursement program the evil mega-corp I used to work for offered. It helped me pay for the program of studies I completed at the U of A a few years back. As long as my grades were C or better the costs were re-imbursed up to a capped dollar amount each year. Passing one course meant I could afford to pay for the next.

At the college there’s no tuition re-imbursement or academic upgrading programs in place for non-Faculty members. Which is one of the reasons I got into this return to school yet again situation in the first place. I can’t get a Faculty position without a Masters and I can’t a into grad school without first finishing a shiny BA in a related field. Are you dizzy yet?

Have I mentioned that I’m not even sure what I want to be when I grow up?

We got a call this morning that will cut our trip to Jasper short. Drew has to go into work and had some of his leave cancelled. We’re still heading out for the weekend though. I’m not passing up a shot at the Jasper Park Lodge! I don’t know if I’ll have Internet access while we’re away so there’s a good chance there won’t be any blog updates until we return.