Five Things To Do And See

1. Take Time To Remember

More than 116,000 men and women have died fighting for Canada. Now is the time to get yourself to your nearest or most favourite Remembrance Day ceremony and pay your respects. It’s Nov. 11 and there will be ceremonies large and small across the country, from Whistler, B.C., to Labrador City. In addition, there are Veterans Week events occurring nationwide, so check out the website below to find one near you.

Veterans Week and Remembrance Day
November 5 -11   http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/veterans-week

2. Indulge Your Passion For Military History

Travel to Markham, Ont., in early November to attend one of Canada’s largest militaria and antique arms shows.

You can expect to see medals, badges, insignia, antique muskets and pistols, military weaponry until 1945, inert ordinance, swords, daggers, bayonets, uniforms, field equipment, flying gear, helmets, Japanese samurai swords, and accessories, books, prints, war souvenirs, trench art, models soldiers, military toys and other related items.

Toronto Military Show
November 10
Markham Fair Grounds   www.torontomilitaryshow.com

3. The War That Saved Canada

If you’re proud to be Canadian, then you owe it to yourself to go check out the Canadian War Museum’s huge and informative exhibit on the War of 1812. You’ll understand the conflict in a whole new way as you hear about it from the differing perspectives of four key participants—a Native American, a Canadian, a British sailor and an American. In addition, you can peruse more than 160 artifacts, including the tunic worn by Sir Isaac Brock, Commander-in-Chief of British forces in Upper Canada, during the battle of Queenston Heights. The hole left by the American musket ball that killed Brock is clearly visible.

The War of 1812
Until January 6
Canadian War Museum, Ottawa   http://www.warmuseum.ca/1812/

4. Take In Some War Art In Calgary

For as long as there has been conflict, there have been artists trying to show what it was like to people who weren’t there. And so it is with the exhibit A Brush with War, which draws on artwork from the Canadian War Museum’s Beaverbrook Collection to provide a visually striking presentation of the Canadian military experience from 1946 to 2008, from Korea to Afghanistan.

The Military Museums
Until December 2
Calgary   http://themilitarymuseums.ca/

5. Celebrate Christmas In The Barracks

The Citadel in Halifax invites families to see what Christmas was like for the soldiers stationed in the barracks in the 19th century. There will be parlour games, choirs and a soldier’s version of Charles Dickens’ beloved A Christmas Carol.

23rd Annual Victorian Christmas
November 24-25
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Halifax   www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/visit/activ4.aspx