Under a bright November sun, hundreds gathered on the football field at John Abbott College on Thursday, Nov. 6, for the annual John Abbott–Macdonald Remembrance Day Ceremony. The event, hosted jointly by John Abbott College and McGill University’s Macdonald Campus, brought together members of different generations to pay tribute to the men and women who have served in Canada’s armed forces.
As per tradition, veterans and dignitaries took their seats at the centre of the field encircled by high school and post-secondary students. Police Technology students from John Abbott College stood nearby, serving as escorts for the veterans, while children from Pierre Elliott Trudeau Public School, Edgewater Elementary and St. Patrick Elementary watched from the stands. Students from nearby Macdonald High School had walked over to attend the event.
The scene reflected a powerful connection across generations with young people learning about sacrifice and service directly from those who lived it.
“Freedom of speech, freedom of association and all our other freedoms are just not free,” Master Warrant Officer Rick Cartmel of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada) told the gathering. “We pay for freedom by using young men and women in times of war. No one hates war more than a soldier, but there are things worth fighting for. Let us never forget their sacrifices.”
A solemn tribute, a lasting message
This year’s ceremony marked a milestone: 80 years since the end of the Second World War on May 8, 1945, in Europe and Aug. 15 in the Pacific. The anniversary underscored both the weight of history and the importance of transmitting its lessons to younger generations.
“We are gathered here today to remember and to honour all those in uniform who have served and continue to serve and defend our country,” said Salwa Karboune, Dean of McGill’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “We remember those who have returned with injuries in the line of duty, some with visible injuries others with invisible injuries and many with both. Their commitment to duty and the price they paid remind us of the value of peace, freedom and democracy. … Peace can never be taken for granted; it must be protected and renewed each day through understanding, dialogue and solidarity.”
Karboune urged the crowd, particularly the students, to see remembrance as more than a single annual observance.
“Beyond this day of remembrance, let’s carry their legacy forward through our actions, our words and our commitment to building a more peaceful and just world for future generations,” she said.
After The Last Post sounded, no 21-gun salute broke the silence, only the quiet salutes of veterans honouring their fallen comrades. The stillness was broken only by the flutter of flags whipped by the brisk fall wind.
Macdonald’s enduring connection to service
Though the ceremony looked forward, the setting itself carried reminders of MacdonaldCampus ’s long record of military service. When the First World War began in 1914, Macdonald College enrolled just 450 students, yet more than 350 enlisted. Thirty-four never returned. In the Second World War, 525 people from the Macdonald community, including over 100 women, answered the call to serve, and 42 were killed.
The ceremony concluded with a procession to the permanent War Memorial in front of the Raymond Building, led by Grenadier Guards. There, a wreath was laid, and veterans, students and community members planted small Canadian flags around the War Memorial in a quiet act of remembrance.
As the wind swept across the field, the moment underscored what the day was about: respect, reflection and the importance of honouring those who served.