MESSAGE FROM PETER MARTIN -REMEMBER STONE
Hide a Remember stone, find a Remember stone and honour a Veteran with a Remember stone.
I have Organized the No Stone Left Alone Ceremony in the Transcona Cemetery, Field of Honour for over five years. I arrange for over 600 Transcona Grade six classes to go to the Transcona Cemetery Field of Honour and place Poppies on the 325 Graves of Transcona Veterans. In 2019 a friend, Tova Anderson, painted over 700 stones with a “poppy” and the word “Remember” which she handed out to the students after the ceremony. In 2020 Tova painted another 750 stones for the ceremony which ended up being cancelled due to Covid 19. It now appears that the 2021 ceremony might not happen to the same degree as in the past as well and the stones might sit for another year.
I did not want the stones to sit another year and not be used as part of the Veteran recognition during the No Stone Left Alone ceremony. I discussed with a friend, who is involved in other Remembrance activities (Kerry Harrison, (owner Transcona Salon and Spa), and she suggested we could turn these stones into a hide and find activity. We built on this idea and decided that we would get the Transcona citizens to hide stones in some of the 78 Parks and Playgrounds. All the stones are now hidden by a fantastic group of Transcona people. We are now trying to get all Transcona families to visit some of the 78, Transcona Parks and Playgrounds and find hidden stones. Once a stone is found they could take to the Transcona Cemetery, Field of Honour and place on the grave stone of a Veteran, take a picture and post it if they like. If they have a family member who was a Veteran but not buried in the Field of Honour, they could place the stone on their grave as a reminder of their service. They could also give a stone to a Veteran who has served or continues to serve in the Military and thank them for their service.
This October activity would get families out to visit the 78 Parks and Playgrounds and also participate in the act of Remembrance. Even if you want to keep a stone to remind yourself of the sacrifices of the Veterans, that is wonderful as well. We felt the placing of these stones during October would be the perfect lead up to November 11th and, of course it is easier to find stones before the snow flies, although falling leaves also pose a problem.
Beginning October 1st take the family and head out to your nearest park or Playground to find some stones and use them to recognize a Veteran and keep the message of Remembrance going.
