Should Remembrance Day be a statutory holiday?
Both sides to this debate seek the same outcome: heightened awareness of, and greater public participation in, Canada’s annual Remembrance Day observances. The question hinges on the most effective means of achieving this goal. By enshrining Remembrance Day as a statutory holiday, on a par with Canada Day, the event would be nationally institutionalized, and the vast majority of Canadians would be available to participate in formal ceremonies and activities. Honouring the revered memory of those men and women who served and sacrificed, coupled with an expressed commitment to support those who continue to do so, would become ingrained as a unifying, national event.
The question of whether Remembrance Day should be a national holiday has vexed the country for nearly a century. Those op...
