Remembrance Day should be a holiday

With Remembrance Day just two days away, we often turn our thoughts to the veterans past and present.

Remembrance Day was previously known as Armistice Day and originated to observe the end of World War 1, which occurred at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

The day is also observed by the commonwealth nations including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, among others.

The United States observes it as Veterans Day and it's a federal and state holiday over there.

Not so in Canada, where each province sets their own observance, and all but Ontario and Quebec observe an official holiday.

The fact that Ontario, which probably sent more Canadian soldiers to fight for their country than any other province, does not consider it a holiday is a travesty that is long overdue to be corrected.

Sure, we have the parades and ceremonies marking the occasion, but to truly do it up right, Ontarians need to be able to properly observe Remembrance Day without having to take time from work to do so.

The simple fact is, Remembrance Day is far more important to our culture than Family Day, yet the McGuinty government still ignores the requests to make November 11 a holiday.

Until then, we must still take time to get to our area services to pay respects to those who fought and died for our freedoms.

And if the weather is bad, think back to the cold, wet trenches of the two world wars, or the jungles of Vietnam, or the heat of Afghanistan, and remember what 'they' endured to protect the freedoms that we have today.

Lest we forget.