K-J Millar
Shilo Stag Media
WATCH VIDEO: No Stone Left Alone message marched forward by Brandon students
There is no underestimating the power of youth when it comes to the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation (NSLA) and annual Remembrance Day ceremonies to commemorate the lives and deaths of all who serve.
The mission may seem a simple one—to place poppies on the headstones of veterans, ensuring no stone is left alone, but the message honouring Canada’s Veterans through personal acts of remembrance, gratitude, and citizenship, every year into forever, is one that the youth of today will march forward.
More than 750 students and members of the public attended Brandon’s No Stone Left Alone Ceremonies at the Brandon Cemetery, on Nov 6.
Ryan Lawson, regional coordinator, said while the ceremonies had lower attendance this year, in total, between all the ceremonies in the Westman area, more than 1,000 students participated in various NSLA events.
A group of special guest speakers at the event included Regimental Sergeant Major, Chief Warrant Officer Eric LeClair, with Canadian Armed Forces members from CFB Shilo, standing Guard as military personnel.
With 12 registered NSLA events in Manitoba, a source of pride is that Brandon’s participation marked it the largest event in the province in 2024. The growth of the NSLA movement has been exponential over the past three years, with increasing numbers.
According to the NSLA website, in 2024, 13,469 students from 217 communities honoured 123,687 veterans in 3327 events across nine countries. These numbers surpassed the 11,340 students from 200 communities honouring 80,838 Veterans in 287 events across nine countries in 2023.
In 2022, 9778 students from 168 communities honoured 79,896 Veterans in 168 events across three countries.
“No Stone Left Alone was officially launched in 2011 to help ensure an enduring national respect and gratitude for the sacrifice of the Canadian men and women who have lost their lives in the service of peace, at home and abroad. It has become [the] mission to see that one day all of the soldiers’ headstones would have a poppy placed in their honour, with truly No Stone Left Alone,” the website states.
