Poppies, flags laid at veterans' graves

The No Stone Left Alone (NSLA) ceremony took place on a warm sunny day last week at the Olds cemetery.

It was hosted by the IODE Baron Tweedsmuir Chapter along with the Olds Legion and Holy Trinity Catholic School on Nov. 4, one week ahead of the regular Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremony.

Dignitaries -- including Olds mayor Judy Dahl, Ken Heck from Mountain View County, MLA Nathan Cooper and IODE Alberta vice-president Valerie Braiden -- brought greetings, emphasizing the importance of honouring and remembering the sacrifice of veterans. MP Earl Dreeshen sent his regrets, being in Ottawa.

"It's a duty we're proud to accept," said Cooper about the responsibility of remembrance.

The ceremony also included a singing of O Canada, the Last Post and two minutes of silence. All of this happened near the cemetery cenotaph.

Afterward, each student from Holy Trinity was grouped with one member from IODE and another from the legion, to place a Canadian flag, adorned with a poppy, at the headstones of veterans' graves – 220 of them.

Dianne Powney, the local IODE president, said she was pleased with how the ceremony went and hopes to do it again next year.

Students from Deer Meadow School were also in attendance and Powney said one of the things they'll do differently next year is invite more of them.

Each student will write a reflection piece on what they learned from the experience. Those responses will be sent to the national NSLA foundation office, she said.

Youth involvement will be a key component of remembrance, especially as Canada has lost its First World War veterans and the number of those who survived the Second World War decreases. Adults must pass on the act to the young, Powney said.

"Someday, we're not going to be here and they're going to have to continue this," she said.

Click here to view more photos from the ceremony.