Nov. 4, 2024 was not just another school day for Kahlan Bowden or Ruby Driscoll.
The 14-year-old Grade 9 students were among the more than 100 who attended the annual No Stone Left Alone ceremony at the St. Albert Municipal Cemetery on a breezy but bright and relatively warm morning.
Both of Bowden’s parents served in Afghanistan.
“It means a lot,” Bowden said after placing a poppy on the gravestone of Capt. Donald Evan McNiven, who served in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and that of Iris Doreen Lind.
“Both of my parents were in the army, so it means a lot to see everyone laying down their poppies."
A national organization, No Stone Left Alone works from coast-to-coast to “provide resources and support to guide educators, students and community members for holding their own commemorative events at a cemetery in their community – expressing respect and gratitude for our fallen military veterans, while honouring living veterans, serving members and their families,” according to their website.
This gives students “an authentic leadership experience centred around a uniquely moving, hands-on act of remembrance – laying a poppy at the headstones of veterans. This personal act signals respect and gratitude for our fallen military veterans, while honouring living veterans, serving members and their families.”
Driscoll said she also has family who served in Afghanistan.
“It’s nice to see people come and show respect and how much they care.”
The City of St. Albert will hold its Remembrance Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11, starting at 11:30 a.m. and running until 11:45 a.m. at the St. Albert Cenotaph on St. Anne Street.
The Remembrance Day parade will start on Taché Street across from the St. Albert Royal Canadian Legion around 10:40 a.m. and will travel along the St. Anne Promenade to St. Anne Street and end at the Cenotaph. The ceremony at the Cenotaph will start at 11 a.m.
The following roadways will be closed on Nov. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon:
- Taché Street closed from Sir Winston Churchill Avenue to St. Anne Promenade
- St. Anne Promenade closed from Taché Street to St. Anne Street
- St. Anne Street closed from Perron Street to Sir Winston Churchill Avenue
- St. Thomas Street from St. Joseph Street to St. Anne Street
