Edmonton students place poppies in remembrance

Hundreds of Edmonton students took part in a touching Remembrance Day ceremony at Beechmount Cemetery, honouring those who lost their lives serving our country. 

A movement that began here in Edmonton six years ago has spread across the country, as students placed poppies on the headstones of fallen Canadian soldiers. No Stone Left Alone was founded 2011 with the goal of ensuring every Canadian who served in the military is honoured.

This year, politicians, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and students were in attendance at Beechmount Cemetery, to place poppies on the headstones of 4,000 soldiers buried in the Field of Honour. Students read poems to recognize and remember the Canadian servicemen and women who fought and fell for our country.  The focus behind No Stone Left Alone is to personalize remembrance.

“It’s emotional every year,” notes Maureen Bianchini Purvis, the founder of the ceremony. Purvis was inspired to start No Stone Left Alone after an experience with her daughters. Every year on November 11, she would place a poppy upon her mother’s headstone to honour her service in the military. When her young daughters would ask why the other headstones didn’t have poppies, Purvis found that she did not have an answer. They decided that all soldiers should have a poppy. Since 2011, the tradition has grown exponentially, yet Maureen still ensures that the roots of her movement are honoured.

“I humbly have a moment to myself to reflect on my mother, and to let her know I stopped at her headstone this morning before the show started with my beautiful daughters.”

No Stone Left Alone has grown into a national movement, with Prime Minister Trudeau attending an Ottawa ceremony. A ceremony was even held in Krakow, Poland to honour Canadians soldiers buried there. In total this year, 8,001 students honoured 52,771 Canadian soldiers.

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