This November, every soldier laid to rest in the Jasper Cemetery will receive a poppy from a junior high student, as a gesture of remembrance and thanks.
The initiative is called No Stone Left Alone. It began in Edmonton in 2011 and, in an effort to grow beyond the city, it is coming to Jasper.
鈥淭he main thing is giving the students a new way to remember, or an authentic experience, rather than sitting in a gymnasium hearing some veteran talk,鈥� said Maureen Bianchini-Purvis, who started the initiative with her youngest daughter, Keely Yates.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new way for people to really remember why we are free here, because it鈥檚 really getting lost. People seem to take it for granted.鈥�
The idea came out of the family鈥檚 own experiences. Bianchini-Purvis, whose parents both served in the Second World War, has been placing poppies on her parents鈥� gravestones for years.
鈥淢y mother passed away when I was 12 and when she did, she said, 鈥楧on鈥檛 forget me on Armistice Day,鈥� so ever since I鈥檝e always gone out and put my poppy there.
鈥淭hen my father passed in the late 90s, he lays next to her, so I began bringing my daughters and it became a family tradition.鈥�
The intimate exchange between family became more than that in 2011, when Yates, who now has her own son, asked 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 other soldiers get a poppy? Why are we doing this and that guy over there doesn鈥檛 get one?鈥�
From there it was a letter to the Minister of Veteran Affairs that launched No Stone Left Alone, which last year had 750 students and 1,500 volunteers laying poppies at 16 cemeteries in Edmonton.
Although only its third year, No Stone Left Alone has requests from soldiers and families across the country, who would like the initiative brought to their own communities.
鈥淏ecause we鈥檙e so young, I want to walk before I run,鈥� said Bianchini-Purvis, who was honoured, along with her daughter, with a Queen鈥檚 Diamond Jubilee medal last year. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still such a young organization to have that honour so quickly.
鈥淓ven coming here just shows us what it鈥檚 like not to have our full office and all the people that work with us and what鈥檚 it like in a totally different community.鈥�
Helping Bianchini-Purvis get the initiative off the ground in Jasper are Mike Day and Reverend David Prowse.
The group went to the Jasper Cemetery last week to see how many fallen soldiers have been laid to rest in Jasper, expecting only to find a few, but discovering at least 30.
Bianchini-Purvis said she is working to get both the Jasper Junior/Senior High School and Ecole Desrochers involved, bringing junior high students to the cemetery Nov. 8 for a ceremony and the placing of poppies.
The students will 鈥渟ay the soldier鈥檚 name out loud before putting the poppy down and thank them,鈥� said Bianchini-Purvis. 鈥淚t becomes a really powerful, authentic act for them. And when you read the student鈥檚 reflection letters afterwards, it totally justifies what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
In one, written by a Grade 9 student, it states: 鈥淚 will never take Remembrance Day lightly ever again.
鈥淚 thought that being at the graveyard of the deceased soldiers would only be depressing, but knowing that so many people gave their lives for this country only makes me more proud to say that I am a Canadian.鈥�
To learn more about No Stone Left Alone, or to see video of last year鈥檚 ceremony in Edmonton, visit NoStoneLeftAlone.ca.
Nicole Veerman
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