Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 14/01) - Remembrance Day is a time to honour those who have served in Canada's armed forces, and there are few places where this is recognized more than in Yellowknife schools.

Yellowknifer visited St. Patrick high school, Weledeh Catholic school and Sir John Franklin high school on Friday.

In both places, crosses loomed large, silhouetted against the backdrop of the gymnasium walls. Hundreds of red poppies on chests of teachers and students flashed under dimmed lights.

"The importance of this is that we honour and learn from our past, but we need to connect it to the reality of the present world," said Sir John's principal Mieke Cameron. "Our students have been deeply impacted by the events of Sept. 11."

There is a different atmosphere this year. It has been nearly 50 years since the Korean conflict which saw Canada at war over the Remembrance Day weekend.

Students are not only pondering the significance of wars long relegated to the history books, they now find themselves wondering about the present -- a new war fought by soldiers little older than themselves.

The trinity of elevens, and a pair of candles at Sir John -- representing the events of Sept. 11 -- made this impression all the more real.

But if there is a greater need for sacrifice, perhaps there is a greater understanding of the past among today's youth.

"I volunteer a lot of my time with the Legion," said Grade 11 St. Pat's student Tom Eschak, a master corporal with the army cadets. His family has a long military tradition with the Canadian forces.

He was standing on the gymnasium stage, dressed in a Second World War infantry uniform. The sounds of a bugle filled the room with the doleful melody The Last Post.

"I do it more for what happened in the past, and not just for my family," Eschak added, of his commitment to cadets and the legion.

Another St. Pat's student, Ashley Rudkevitch, read a story about a young soldier who liked to sing and dance at home, but when the call came he went overseas to fight for his country. He died in a French village near the beaches of Normandy.

"His name was Warren, and he sang like Bing Crosby..." Rudkevitch began.

These are the hopes and dreams of the young -- to live their lives to the fullest of their abilities. But now thoughts of sacrifice seem all the more real. It is no longer just about giving up a night to work a shift for a friend, or giving up volleyball to have more time to study for exams.

"In a heartbeat," said Sir John student Brenna Saville -- also a master corporal in army cadets -- when asked if she would give her life to her country if needed be.

"I wouldn't even blink."