Please join us in honouring the veterans in your cemetery.
There are over 216,000 identified veteran burials in cemeteries across Canada. It’s our goal to one day honour every one of those veterans with a poppy laid by a Canadian student. To do that, we need your help.
Whether your site houses a formal veterans section or not, there are most likely veterans interred in your cemetery. A NSLA commemoration is the perfect way to honour and acknowledge those men and women, and to engage young Canadians in a meaningful event in your space.
OUR MISSION
To honour the sacrifice and service of Canada’s military by educating students and placing poppies on the headstones of veterans every November.
What is No Stone Left Alone?
At No Stone Left Alone, we believe the key to ongoing remembrance is in building meaningful links between Canadian youth and the immense contributions of our veterans and serving military.
We work with teachers, youth and volunteers to create hands on inter-generational remembrance events in cemeteries across Canada every November. Through our educational programs, students are encouraged to learn about the veterans interred in their community. Then, during our unique ceremonies, these students place a poppy at the headstone of each veteran, reading aloud the names and considering their service and sacrifice. After the event students draft handwritten reflection letters, expressing the personal connection they have experienced and how it has affected them.
“The aim of No Stone Left Alone is near and dear to the hearts of the regiment, and I do not believe that its contribution to the military can be overstated. In times of isolation, it provides a valuable bridge between the soldiers and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, and the people we serve, most notably the next generation of Canadians.”
How It Works
The requirements to host a No Stone Left Alone event at your cemetery are minimal. The primary requirement is that you have identified at least one veteran interred at your site, and that you make the site available to the students and any other attendees to hold a remembrance ceremony.
Beyond this, many cemeteries participate more actively through:
holding a “hot chocolate reception” for the students and attendees after the ceremony
assisting students and organizers with locating and pre-marking the veteran headstones
providing additional information about the veterans interred in the cemetery
engaging other ceremony participants such as clergy or musicians with whom you may already have a relationship
Typically, cemeteries are matched up with local schools or youth groups by No Stone Left Alone coordinators. But cemetery contacts are also welcome to reach out to their own communities to recruit schools and other groups on their own, if they would like to take a more active role in organizing the event. Once you register your cemetery to be available for a NSLA event, our team will reach out to discuss next steps.
Many student participants have never visited a cemetery before. This experience introduces them to these peaceful spaces as a beautiful part of their community and their history.
The Benefits of Hosting a No Stone Left Alone Event
Showcase your cemetery
Showcase your site’s ability to host an event
Encourage people to discover their local cemetery
Build stronger connection to the community and its youth
Share local history
Help demystify the industry
Build new memories in local cemeteries
Establish your site as a yearly place of commemoration
In 2021, 131 NSLA events were held from coast to coast and beyond, honouring 67,171 veterans, in 131 ceremonies in 88 communities, engaging and inspiring over 7,702 young Canadians.
See the 2021 events list
What are NSLA Events like?
NSLA ceremonies can vary greatly in their size and complexity. Regardless of the number of veterans’ headstones present, you can host a meaningful and impactful event.
Some larger NSLA ceremonies involve the presence of dignitaries from various levels of government and other community members. However, this is NOT a requirement for all NSLA ceremonies. The majority of NSLA ceremonies are simple, meaningful events that may only involve students, teachers, and a few members of the public. Additional participation is wonderful, but not required.
You can see our basic ceremony sequence here, which will give you an overview of the formal elements of the event. More resources and information are available on our Ceremony Organizer Resources page.
Ready to get started?
Questions? Contact us.
Michelle Koch, National Coordinator
michellekb@nostoneleftalone.ca
780-917-8855