Declaring Remembrance Day a national holiday may seem like a no-brainer to some, but local MPs and Legion officials say the move may not produce the desired result.
“If it becomes a statutory holiday, 75 per cent or so of [school-aged children] will still be in bed at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month,” Perth-Wellington MP Gary Schellenberger told the Advertiser.
He was one of two dissenting votes when Parliament recently approved a second reading of a private member’s bill to make Nov. 11 a national holiday.
“People will treat it as just another holiday … it loses its meaning,” Schellenberger added.
First introduced by Toronto NDP MP Dan Harris in May, the bill will now go to a committee of Parliament for further study.
Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong voted in favour of the bill at second reading, but says he is “not sure” how he will vote on the third and final reading.
“It’s worthy of further debate and discussion,” said Chong, who explained the committee process will include feedback from educators, veterans, Legion officials and others.
Past president of the Elora Legion Ashley Woods, like many Royal Canadian Legion officials across the nation, is strongly opposed to the idea of making Remembrance Day a national holiday.
“You cannot legislate respect or patriotism,” Woods said in a letter to the Advertiser.
He continued, “In light of the two recent deaths of our military personnel, I realize that emotions are high, but we should not act with a ‘knee jerk’ reaction.
“Keep Remembrance Day for those who really want to remember, and honour the memory of those who paid the ‘supreme sacrifice’.”
Woods and Schellenberger said the status quo, with children learning about Remembrance Day and attending Nov. 11 ceremonies as part of their school day, is the best way to encourage and foster remembrance among youths.
Schellenberger cited the annual Nov. 11 ceremony in Drayton as a perfect example of his position.
“[The students] march all the way down from the school to the cenotaph,” he said.
“There’s been some pretty cold days there, but the warmth that comes from those kids and the memories that they get are sincere … and that’s something we should embrace.”
A recent poll from the Vimy Foundation, which aims to preserve and promote Canada’s First World War legacy, indicates 82% of Canadians would support Nov. 11 being a national holiday. However, the same poll indicates just 27% had planned to attend a Remembrance Day service.
While undecided on how he will vote on the private member’s bill, Chong said he too likes the idea of children learning about the importance of Remembrance Day in schools.
However, Chong cautioned that even if the bill passes, it does not mean Nov. 11 automatically becomes a paid holiday. That decision rests with the provincial government.
Most holidays are designated by provinces. The federal government recognizes just three: Canada Day, Victoria Day and Remembrance Day, with the latter being the only one that’s not a “legal” holiday.
Currently Nov. 11 is a statutory holiday in six provinces, but not in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. If the new bill passes, everyone will get the day off, but it will be up to the provinces to decide whether or not that day is a statutory holiday.
“My position on this in the past has been that the current system in Ontario is the best way to commemorate Remembrance Day,” Chong said. He and Schellenberger also noted they have heard from local small businesses that are not in favour of another paid holiday.
The bill will return to Parliament after review by the committee, which has up to 12 “sitting weeks” to return the bill for third reading.
