Hundreds of elementary students in New Westminster take part in poppy-laying ceremony

More than 350 students from four elementary schools gathered at Fraser Cemetery in New Westminster Friday morning to remember and honour our fallen soldiers.

They placed poppies on military gravestones as part of the annual event organized by the No Stone Left Alone Foundation.

The crowd listened to war poems, including John McCrae's In Flanders Fields, wearing poppies, and eagerly waited to place one on a military gravestone.

Students told CTV News that it was an emotional experience as they read the names and ages of the people who fought for Canada.

"They risked their lives for our freedom," said grade 5 student Charlie Adler.

"...And our country, so we think that there should be a couple days every year where you can come and remember them," added classmate Morgan Kinna.

"It made me feel pretty good because we're remembering the soldiers who passed in the previous wars. I guess all a soldier needs to get by in this life is a little love and respect," said fellow grade 5 student Zackary Weeks.

The students said they talk about what they learned at home and write reflections about it in school.

"I talk about my family members who have gone to war a lot," said Kinna.

Their teacher and vice principal of Skwo:wech Elementary School, Darren Elves, said it was powerful to watch his students participate in the event.

"They just understand it and they just wanna know more about it and they're curious. And they ask the right questions and they just want to find out more and more," he said.

This year marked New Westminster's sixth annual poppy-laying remembrance ceremony and the number of participants has grown exponentially, according to organizers.

Karen Baker-Macgrotty, the chair of No Stone Left Alone for New Westminster said they only had a handful of students their first year and it's now gone up to hundreds.

"It is overwhelming and on such a rainy, wet day as well. We couldn't have picked a wetter day, I don't think. It's very meaningful to me," she said.

She hopes to one day see every school in the city take part in the event.

"It's really important for our youth to remember and to be taught the act of remembrance, and to help them to understand the veterans, the soldiers, the sailors, the airmen (who) have given their service to Canada and to help those around the world and to protect our freedoms," said Baker-Macgrotty.

Dozens of other poppy-laying ceremonies took place across the country on Friday.

More than 268,000 headstones have been honoured since the program launched in 2011.