World War I took the lives of 66,000 Canadians and wounded another 172,000.
Of the Canadians lost, 628 were students at the University of Toronto, leaving a legacy of devastation and sacrifice.
Every year on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Canadians observe a two-minute silence to remember those who were killed, wounded, or scarred psychologically and physically by the war.
On Tuesday, the university will be holding a number of services to honour the fallen soldiers of both the First and Second World War, as well as other Canadian military involvements.
The annual Service of Remembrance will take place at Soldier’s Tower on November 11 from 10:20 am to 11 am. The service, which is organized by the Soldier’s Tower Committee, will include a recitation of “In Flanders Fields” — the famous poem by University College alumnus John McCrae — as well as national and royal anthems and a laying of wreaths.
A reception in Hart House will follow the service.
The university’s Scarborough and Mississauga campuses will also be holding services. At UTSC, the annual Remembrance Day service will take place on November 11 at 10:40 am in the Meeting Place featuring the UTSC concert band and concert choir.
At UTM, the Remembrance Day Observance will take place on November 11 at 10:45 am at the flagstaff in front of the William G. Davis building.
The Memorial Room, located in soldier’s tower, will also be open on select days. The room contains memorabilia honouring the university’s fallen soldiers.
