Library Guides: Remembrance Day: Start Here

A Poppy Field, France by Gunner Vivian John Cummings c. 1918 via Canadian War Museum Beaverbrook Collection of War Art.

About Remembrance Day

"Remembrance Day is a yearly memorial day that is observed in many Commonwealth countries, including Canada, to remember those who died in military service, and honour those who served in wartime. It is observed across Canada each year on 11 November — the anniversary of the Armistice agreement of 1918 that ended the First World War" (The Canadian Encyclopedia).

Centennial College encourages our students, faculty, and staff to reflect on the sacrifices made by Canadian veterans to ensure the rights and freedoms we enjoy today. Attend a ceremony on campus, read a survivor's story, or watch a film or documentary about the lesser-known heroes fighting for a better future. Centennial Libraries has thousands of resources to honour our past and imagine a future free from war.

AT RIGHT: Membertou linguist, Bernie Francis, reads his Mi’kmaq translation of John McCrae's war poem In Flanders Fields.

Icon meaning

	Canadian content
	Open Access
	Reference material
	Government resource
	Peer-reviewed
	Multimedia resource

Academic journals

Online resources

Want to learn more about Canada’s military history and remember Canadians’ service, sacrifice and loss? Read first-hand accounts from veterans, find and view historical photos and videos, or learn more about services and programs for veterans from the resources below.

Search the Library Collections

Video playlists

National Film Board of Canada: Remembrance Day
For Remembrance Day, a selection of films that pay tribute to the Canadians who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.
Can-Core: Remembrance Day
Features and segments on Remembrance Day from Can-Core, a video database with emphasis on Canadian and Indigenous content.
National Film Board of Canada: War, Conflict, and Peace
Films and documentaries about global conflict, wars, peacekeeping and their impacts.
CBC Curio: Remembrance Day
Every year on November 11, Canadians mark Remembrance Day, pausing in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. This theme features a selection of stories marking this special day, in which we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country.

Attribution

This guide was created by School of Arts Librarian, Stephanie Power. If you have any suggestions, comments, or concerns, contact Stephanie.

Books

Centennial Libraries contains thousands of titles related to Remembrance Day, war history, Peace and Conflict Studies, and personal narratives from historical and contemporary wars. Check out some select titles below or browse our Remembrance Day Collection or use the suggested searches on the left to find more.

Non-fiction

Fiction & Poetry

Indigenous Veterans Day (November 8)

Videos & Documentaries

John McCrae's War: In Flanders Fields (1998)
“This feature documentary profiles poet John McCrae, from his childhood in Ontario to his years in medicine at McGill University and the WWI battlefields of Belgium, where he cared for wounded soldiers.”
And We Knew How to Dance: Women in World War I (1993)
This feature documentary profiles 12 Canadian women who entered the male-dominated world of munitions factories and farm labour during World War I. In 1994, aged 86 to 101, these women recall their wartime work experiences and the ways in which their commitment and determination helped lead the way to postwar social changes for women.
Fields of Sacrifice (1964)
"This 1964 documentary returns to the battlefields where over 100,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The film also visits cemeteries where servicemen are buried."
Real Life Heroes: Navajo Code Talkers (2014)
In this episode of Medicine Line, host Dave Gaudet travels to Arizona and New Mexico to Navajo Country to speak with WWII Veteran Teddy Draper Sr. and his vital role as a Navajo Code Talker. At barely 19 years of age, Teddy Drapper Sr. joined the navy. The American army would soon recruit Teddy and other Navajo men to use their language as a secret code. They were only ones able to use and decipher the codes and were a critical element to help win the war.
Forgotten Warriors (1997)
"This documentary introduces us to thousands of Indigenous Canadians who enlisted and fought alongside their countrymen and women during World War II, even though they could not be conscripted. Ironically, while they fought for the freedom of others, they were being denied equality in their own country and returned home to find their land seized."
Unwanted Soldiers (1999)
"This documentary tells the personal story of filmmaker Jari Osborne's father, a Chinese-Canadian veteran. She describes her father's involvement in World War II and uncovers a legacy of discrimination and racism against British Columbia's Chinese-Canadian community. Sworn to secrecy for decades, Osborne's father and his war buddies now vividly recall their top-secret missions behind enemy lines in Southeast Asia. Theirs is a tale of young men proudly fighting for a country that had mistreated them."
Remembering the sacrifices of Canada's minority soldiers (2019)
Black soldiers had to fight to be able to fight on behalf of Canada — but academics say their unique plight often goes unrecognized.