Recognizing Remembrance Day in our schools and remembering those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom is extremely important to students and staff in Red Deer Public Schools – in fact, it’s one of the biggest ceremonies on our school calendar each year.

For a second year in a row, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are not able to host their traditional Remembrance Day ceremonies given the limits on assemblies in schools. Red Deer Public Schools had to come up with a creative idea on how all 12,000 of our students and staff would commemorate Remembrance Day. Schools came together and a dynamic video was produced that was shown Division-wide earlier today.

“Our Remembrance Day video has a strong local connection with a variety of our schools participating in the production,” said Chad Erickson, Superintendent. “We showcased the 100th year of the poppy, the Flags of Remembrance, which can be seen lining Highway 11 near Sylvan Lake, in the Town of Sylvan Lake and in Lacombe, as well as in other locations across the country. In both an act of remembrance as well as establishing an enduring legacy, we also included a major announcement regarding a $1 million Memorial Bursary Fund in memory of William Arthur Bower, a Red Deer student who was killed in action in 1916 in World War I at the age of 22. Five scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded every year to students graduating within Red Deer Public Schools and the Red Deer Regional Catholic School Division who are attending a post-secondary institution. Students can reapply for up to four years.

“Throughout the Division-wide video we also showcased amazing student art with Remembrance Day themes.”