Students lay poppies in Beechmont Cemetery for remembrance event

Not one veteran's headstone in Edmonton's Beechmount Cemetery will be without a poppy this Remembrance Day.

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Hundreds of Edmonton students helped the No Stone Left Alone (NSLA) organization lay poppies at Beechmont on Monday during the group's National Remembrance Ceremony.

It was the 14th time Beechmont hosted the ceremony.

NSLA says its mission is to keep the legacy of Canada's veterans alive by educating and engaging youth.

In 2023, more than 11,000 students from 200 communities honoured veterans in remembrance events in nine countries.

"I would like you all to think about how you and other young people just like you enjoy the lives you lead thanks to our women and men in uniform. You are free to learn and to create whatever future you imagine for yourselves, regardless of your culture, gender, ethnicity or religion. You are free to live in peace. Our women and men in uniform have bravely stepped forward to serve throughout history to create a better world for future generations, to uphold human rights so that each and every Canadian is able to enjoy the blessings of peace and freedom," Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakha told the students on Monday.

She continued: "We can keep their legacy alive by doing whatever we can to make sure our schools, neighbourhoods and communities are welcoming, peaceful and caring places for everyone."

"All of them are the reason why here in Canada we have the freedom to follow our dreams and live our lives as we choose," added Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

The ceremony included footage of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which is celebrating 100 years as a distinct military unit this year.

Also on Monday morning, students in Kraków, Poland, participated in a NSLA ceremony honouring Second World War veterans, including 15 Canadians.