Respect and Remembrance

Lakeside Academy has a new centerpiece on its lawns. In honor of Remembrance Day, student Evan Rowan has created a small concrete pillar to commemorate the Canadian soldiers lost to war. As part of the school’s 2017 tribute, the monument was unveiled during a brief ceremony with his fellow classmates. It now stands proudly in front of the school.

The secondary 5 student is an avid history buff, and though he has no personal links to the armed forces, he has a general passion for what they stand for. « I wanted to leave a legacy at Lakeside before I graduate and I’ve always liked Remembrance Day and all that it symbolizes, » he explains.

The young man has studied Canadian military history and believes that it is important to honor those who fought for the country. He chose to build the monument as part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP) Secondary 5 Personal Project. The monument is just one part of a broader project, and other elements include a personal diary of the process, a final essay and an interview with three teachers for final marking.

Hands on

To create the cenotaph, the young man made a mold out of wood and filled it with concrete.  Once hardened, he smoothed it and added some plaques and a WWI helmet.  He then coated the four foot monument to protect it from the weather elements.

It has the Armed Forces logo and moto in Latin.  There are also two quotes. « The flag doesn’t fly from the wind moving it, it flies from the last breath of every soldier that died defending it, » followed by « We proudly salute all Canadians who gave their lives in the name of our freedom. » Also engraved are the dates of all the wars Canadian soldiers have fought in.

Evan considers it his gift to the school.