Every year, the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ottawa organizes a week of activities to jog peoples' memories in the days leading up to Nov. 11.
A persistent dilemma for the department, which is responsible for pensions and services for war veterans and retired RCMP officers, is how to capture the attention of young Canadians each Remembrance Day.
Wars may seem remote for children and teenagers, particularly if they have no living relatives who have served in the military on overseas missions. And in an increasingly wired world, capturing the interest of tech-savvy youngsters poses a challenge. But it's an essential demographic in order to keep alive the tradition of commemorating Canadian soldiers who fought and died in wars far from home.
Previously, Veterans Affairs reached out to younger audiences indirectly by providing learning material to their school teachers. It still publishes background information on historical events, such as the campaign to liberate Italy from the Nazis, which teachers can use to instruct their students.
But in an effort to keep up with young Canadians who are spending more of their time online, the department has added a new strategy to the mix.
"We're taking the message of remembrance to where youth are: social media," Heather MacDonald, a spokesperson for Veterans Affairs, told CTV.ca. "It's a big launch for us."
The department has set up a webpage called "" on the popular social networking website Facebook. It's designed to relay details of events surrounding Nov. 11. It also serves as a venue where people can describe what Remembrance Day means to them.
As of Friday evening more than 60,000 people had signed on as members of the webpage, a number that had been rising steadily over the past week.
The page houses more than 400 photos posted by users, and countless comments, the overwhelming majority of which were positive.
"I am an ex-British Royal Military Policeman, and was proud to have served with your country's forces, proud and honourable soldiers, and now have the fortune to live in your great country," wrote Shaun Hanson. "Exemplo Ducemus. We will not forget."
Others paid their respects to soldiers sent more recently to Afghanistan.
"Our son, Myles Mansell, was a reservist and volunteered to go to Afghanistan because he thought it was the right thing to do and that maybe he could make a difference in this world. On April 22, 2006, he and three other soldiers were killed," wrote Nancy Mansell. "We will always be so proud of him and what he was trying to accomplish."
'Report' button still needed
But not all of the comments were so respectful and eloquent. At one point this week, a user appeared to confuse Nov. 11 with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Angry users quickly made light of the mistake in a string of vulgar attacks.
The exchange was later removed from the page. And Veterans Affairs, which administers the site, said it is monitoring comments using internal guidelines, and those set by Facebook.
"We want to maintain the open environment found on social media networks, where people feel comfortable about sharing their thoughts on remembrance without being censored," MacDonald wrote in an email. "However, inappropriate comments or postings that are offensive to and individual or an organization, rude in tone, or abusive will be removed."
Alex Brown, a Facebook spokesperson in Toronto, told CTV.ca that the company's staff also investigates reports of inappropriate comments, in line with its terms of service. The goal is "to strike a very delicate balance" that allows users to express their opinions while making sure everyone feels safe, Brown wrote in an email.
This isn't the first year that Veterans Affairs has tried new mediums to encourage youth to get into the spirit of Remembrance Day. For the past several years the department has also been making Nov. 11-themed temporary tattoos, hoping that they would make a mark on a younger demographic.
But this is the first time the department has tried to harness the Internet to spread Remembrance Day to youth.
Veterans Affairs is also hosting a multimedia contest on its website. Users are encouraged to download photos, videos and audio clips to create "mashups" they can repost on the department's website, the official Facebook page or the popular video site YouTube.
On television, Veterans Affairs has partnered with MuchMusic and MusiquePlus to get "modern day" veterans, meaning those who have served since the Korean War, in front of younger viewers on Nov. 11.
The show "VideoFlow," for example, will be devoted to veterans who wish to request a favourite song or deliver a Remembrance Day message, MacDonald said.
