Some Canadians don’t remember what Remembrance Day means in this country.
I never thought that I would have to write something like this in a column. The foolish actions of an Ontario high school principal, and the school’s ignorance and disrespect related to the significance of this important memorial day in our great country, have left me with no choice.
During the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Ottawa’s Robert Borden High School, the Arabic language protest song “Haza Salam” was included. Performed by Mahim Ahmed in 2023, it’s a pro-Palestinian composition that’s been closely associated with the Gaza conflict.
There’s a time and place that this song could have been used in a classroom setting for educational purposes. Remembrance Day ceremonies are most certainly not one of them.
Remembrance Day honours the brave men and women in uniform who fought for democracy, liberty, and freedom during the First World War. We mark this memorial day when the armistice was signed between Germany and the Entente at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Canada was a proud member of the Entente, and we’ve paid homage to the veterans who defended our country as well as the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for over a century.
Only the most delusional of individuals and institutions would ever attempt to associate Remembrance Day with something like the Gaza conflict.
Speaking of which, Aaron Hobbs, principal of Robert Borden, apologized on behalf of his high school for playing a protest song that “caused significant distress to some members of our school community.” This was also included in his putrid letter to school families: “Our intention during the ceremony was to foster a message of peace and remembrance, reflecting on the importance of unity and reconciliation. However, we recognize that the song chosen — while intended to highlight themes of peace — also inadvertently caused offence and discomfort to some students, and for that, we regret our choice.”
The fact that not one single high school teacher or administrator, including Hobbs, seemingly had the foresight to raise a hand and suggest that “Haza Salam” didn’t fit within the parameters of a Remembrance Day ceremony is the height of stupidity. As Ontario PC MPP Lisa MacLeod correctly pointed out, the song’s inclusion “did not follow the Royal Canadian Legion protocol and also distressed all of the Jewish Students.” Some Christian and moderate Muslim students were surely distressed, too.
Long story short, Hobbs and Robert Borden High School staffers should be ashamed of themselves. An apology isn’t nearly enough to quell this controversy. Some heads definitely need to roll.
Alas, this is another example in a long and seemingly never-ending series of unfortunate incidents involving Canada and Remembrance Day.
It was bad enough when the red poppy vs. white poppy debate erupted in Canada (as it has in other countries) in 2016. This related to several left-wing, anti-war activists who preferred to wear white poppies on Remembrance Day as a symbol of peace rather than red poppies as a symbol of militarism and blood on the battlefield. It’s a silly position, to be sure, but at least Canadians wore poppies of some colour that day.
Legendary hockey coach and broadcaster Don Cherry was also fired from CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada in 2019 for speaking out against individuals who didn’t wear poppies on Remembrance Day. His point was valid: fewer and fewer Canadians put on a poppy with each passing year. That’s rather depressing, and he decided to speak out against it. There’s no question that Cherry, affectionately known as “Grapes,” can be controversial at times. Nevertheless, this was a bizarre decision by the public broadcaster that they’ve never truly lived down.
There was also a short-lived brouhaha in 2021 when Whole Foods Market, an American-owned chain, told employees in its 14 locations in Canada that they couldn’t wear poppies to work. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it a “silly mistake” at the time. Ontario Premier Doug Ford went much further. He described it as “disgusting” and “absolutely disgraceful” — and passed Bill 38 — An Act to amend the Remembrance Week Act, 2016, which enshrined the right to wear poppies in the workplace.
Ford and his PC government should get involved in the Ottawa high school controversy, too. If Bill 38 has to be amended once more to ensure that Royal Canadian Legion protocol for Remembrance Day ceremonies is set in stone in all Ontario schools, so be it. And if someone has to be fired for either forgetting or not understanding the real reason why we celebrate Remembrance Day in Canada and around the world, then get on it.
National Post