Two special days happen in the Fall that bring us together, regardless of where we live in Canada – Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day. The reasons are different why these days exist, but the same sentiment runs through both – thankfulness.
For the Vanderwell family, Remembrance Day has such special meaning. Canada has always been a country that supports those who need a helping hand. It’s something the Vanderwell family benefited from and has never forgotten.
Because of the First World War, the great-grandparents of the current Vanderwell family members left their birthplace, Holland, in 1910. They eventually homesteaded in Alberta, becoming Canadian citizens, and establishing Vanderwell.
Remembrance Day is a time to recognize and give thanks to the 2,300,000 Canadians who have served throughout our nation’s history and the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. — on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
At Vanderwell, we continue to support and be thankful for the contribution that our military men and women make every day.
Earlier this year, we made a commitment to donate to the Homes for Heroes Foundation, an organization with its head office in Calgary that builds affordable housing in major cities across Canada for homeless veterans. We will supply lumber to build the foundations and interior structures for the 15 to 20 “tiny homes” in one of the future villages for veterans. Our donation will be the first major lumber supply that Homes for Heroes has ever received. Here’s a link to that original post if you’d like more information.
Closer to home, we also made a financial donation to the Slave Lake Royal Canadian Legion in support of the beautiful new mural recently completed on the south side of the Legion building. The Royal Canadian Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization.
On Remembrance Day, we pause in silence to honour and remember those Canadians who have served and continue to serve Canada during war, conflict, and peace.
And at Vanderwell, it is our hope that we can go beyond one day and extend that feeling of being thankful throughout the year. The future we all enjoy today could have been significantly different without the commitment and sacrifice of Canada’s military men and women.
