1st Place Intermediate Colour Poster

Jessica Xu, Branch #240 Crescent

1st Place Junior Colour Poster

Partup Singh Chohan, Branch #57 Mission

1st Place Primary Colour Poster

Aria Lindquist, Branch #40 Penticton

1st Place Senior Poetry Winner

Viena Milley, Branch #15 Abbotsford

“The Unknown Soldier’s Daughter”

The Poem: The Unknown Soldier’s Daughter

Excerpt:
“I am the Unknown Soldier’s daughter.
I am a victim of the slaughter.”

1st Place Intermediate Poetry Winner

Nate Nelson, Branch #52 Kamloops

“We Tried”

The Poem: We Tried

Excerpt:
“In quiet moments, we stand and recall,
the brave souls who answered the call.
With echoes of gunfire that pierced through the night,
we remember their courage, we remember their might.”

1st Place Junior Poetry Winner

Oliver Yang, Branch #83 South Burnaby

““In Faded Fields of Valour”

The Poem: In Faded Fields of Valour

Excerpt:
“In fields where poppies gently sway,
We gather hearts on Remembrance Day.
With solemn grace, we bow our heads,
For those who fought, for those who bled.”

2nd Place Senior Poetry Winner

Karina Benson, Branch #61 Delta

“Mothers of War”

The Poem: Mothers of War

Excerpt:
“You were the ones who hurt the most,
Oh mothers of the war,
Waiting, worrying, for your children
As they braved the raging storms.”

2nd Place Intermediate Poetry Winner

Arshpreet Kaur, Branch #6 Cloverdale

“At Least He Tried”

The Poem: At Least He Tried

Excerpt:
“I wasn’t ready; I wasn’t even sure.
Me, who had never even hurt a fly before,
Me that is now standing to fight a war
Just so my family can say,
“At least he tried.”

2nd Place Junior Poetry Winner

Harmanjot Sekhon, Branch #265 Aldergrove

“Remembrance Day”

The Poem: Remembrance Day

Excerpt:
“We stand in silence, heads bowed low,
For those who fought so long ago.
They gave their all, both brave and true,
So we could live, both me and you.”

3rd Place Senior Poetry Winner

Rosalie Lloyd, Branch #36 Fernie

“Praise for Lost Youth – Une Commemoration”

The Poem: Praise for Lost Youth

Excerpt:
“Ribbons, awards, and validation;
Remembering their pain in each declaration.
Not hope, nor dream, nor aspiration,
But rather a means of confirmation.”

3rd Place Intermediate Poetry Winner

Eric Felix, Branch #91 Prince Edward

“Remembrance”

The Poem: Remembrance

Excerpt:
“Lest we forget
the times they fret
The way they fought
they gave a lot
And now they sit six feet below
where the poppies grow row on row”

3rd Place Junior Poetry Winner

Kylie Madsen, Branch #61 Delta

“Remember, Remember, Remember”

The Poem: Remember, Remember, Remember

Excerpt:
“Remember the people,
The people so brave,
Who gave their lives so ours could be saved.”

1st Place Senior Essay Winner

Oluwadarasimi “David” Oketowa, Branch #26 Kelowna

“The Sounds of Remembrance Day”

The Essay: The Sounds of Remembrance Day

Excerpt: “Each note from the trumpet clearly echoed through the gym that created a strong somber feeling that captivated me. I had never heard a song with such a sad but powerful sentiment attached to it. As the final measures of this song were played, the notes were drawn out, providing what seemed to be an enduring sound of mourning. It was as if the trumpet was crying out one final time. Finally, the song was brought to a conclusion and my band teacher held his trumpet at his side. The sounds of this song lingered in my mind, along with a reserved feeling of sadness.”

1st Place Intermediate Essay Winner

Leah Dunham, Branch #257 Seaview Centennial

“Two Minutes of Silence”

The Essay: Two Minutes of Silence

Excerpt: “On November 11th, close your eyes and take a minute to remember. Have you ever tried to fully understand the concept of war? Have you ever taken a short moment to think about the soldiers on the frontlines, the families they had to leave? Or is war something you’ve never needed to understand, as it was always something far away, something that will never affect you?”

1st Place Junior Essay Winner

Zoe Huscroft, Branch #170 Castlegar

“There are 11 Reasons I Remember my Great-Grandfather”

The Essay: There are 11 Reasons I Remember my Great-Grandfather

Excerpt: “My great-grandfather was a pilot in the Second World War. He was one of the lucky ones because he came home alive. He had a family, and he told his loved ones stories of the war. Now yearly my family stands in the cold drizzle, and although his stories have mostly been forgotten, we will not forget him or the thousands of soldiers who fought for freedom. What is it that our generation is asked to remember? I thought about it, and I came up and underlined 11 things to remember.”

2nd Place Senior Essay Winner

Melodee Stromotich, Branch #118 North Vancouver

“Come Home”

The Essay: Come Home

Excerpt: “My father has a photograph on the wall… I don’t think about the photo much growing up. It never occurs to me. It’s simply there. Like the fixtures on the mantle, the notches in the door frame, the creaks in the stairs. It’s a part of our house, familiar and loved in its own way, even if I don’t know why we have it. I don’t ask until I’m old enough to have kids of my own, and return to my childhood home once more. My children run across the lawn I mowed every summer, through the garden I planted with poppies reaching for the shining sun. My father huffs on the cigar pinched between his teeth, smoke billowing out his nose like a freight train. “They were my friends.””

2nd Place Intermediate Essay Winner

Damien MacLennan, Branch #118 North Vancouver

“Symbols”

The Essay: Symbols

Excerpt: “On Remembrance Day, we take a moment to remember all of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during war to keep our country free. We are very privileged to live in a country such as Canada, and we must be thankful for the opportunity to feel safe. We should also reflect on war-torn countries and their suffering. On this day, we take a moment to reflect on the many sacrifices that were made in war. Powerful symbols can help us do this.”

2nd Place Junior Essay Winner

Somtochukwo Akabogu, Branch #24 Cranbrook

“The Forgotten Poppy”

The Essay: The Forgotten Poppy

Excerpt: “In a small, quiet village nestled between lush green hills, twelve-year-old Evan discovered an old, weathered diary in his grandmother’s attic. Curious, he flipped through its pages, finding entries written by his great-grandfather, a soldier during a time of great conflict. The last entry caught his attention. “I plant a poppy for every friend I’ve lost. Their memory blooms with each spring.””

3rd Place Senior Essay Winner

Gage Siegel, Branch #273 Mackenzie

“What Do We Remember?”

The Essay: What Do We Remember

Excerpt: “Remembrance Day is a day to mourn, but it is also a day to feel hope like no other day. Hope was what kept them alive, and now we must keep their hope for a better future alive.”

3rd Place Intermediate Essay Winner

Octavia Zihan Cao, Branch #142 West Point Grey

“A Wife’s Responsibility”

The Essay: A Wife’s Responsibility

Excerpt: “My three young children barely had an idea of where their father was. All I told them was that their father was away, maybe for a long time. I couldn’t bear to tell them what would happen if things went wrong overseas.”

3rd Place Junior Essay Winner

Jasmine Trayer, Branch #62 Salmon Arm

“The Greatest Vow”

The Essay: The Greatest Vow

Excerpt: “He reached down and picked a beautiful red poppy. Then he closed his eyes and tried to forget the war for just a minute. He thought of home; his mother baking in the kitchen, his father sitting in his chair reading the newspaper, his younger brother in school, and his dog curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace. How he longed to be home again!”