Jennie Emery Elementary School will be hosting their 2nd Annual Remembrance Day Outdoor Gallery

Jennie Emery Elementary School will be hosting a Remembrance Day Outdoor Gallery from November 4 to November 14.

By Jaxon McGinn
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Sunny South News

Jennie Emery Elementary School will be hosting its 2nd Annual We Will Remember Them Outdoor Art Gallery during the week of Remembrance Day.

As Alberta fights to drive down a deadly fourth wave of infections, several of Coaldale’s annual Remembrance Day ceremonies honouring veterans have been scaled back in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission. Due to the pandemic Jennie Emery Elementary School couldn’t host their annual Remembrance Day ceremony based on the restrictions Alberta has in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Through the outdoor art gallery everyone from the community is welcome including veterans, military service personnel, families, community members, Palliser Regional school staff, and school board members to tour the 2nd annual We Will Remember Them Outdoor Art Gallery.

“Remembrance Day service has always been a big part of our school and we used to take part in the outdoor service that was put on at the cenotaph, so a day before Remembrance Day we would bundle up the kids no matter what the weather was and the whole school would go down to the cenotaph and the veterans would come and the town would put on a beautiful service,” said Chris Pytlarz, a teacher at Jennie Emery.

“We have an online service that we’re going to be doing on Wednesday and after the online service the school will go out and the school will tour the art that’s displayed, and I always take my class to the cenotaph, and I love taking them there, and talk about the purpose of the cenotaph and we always take a picture of the cenotaph and I like to send that home to the parents,” added Pytlarz.

Given the current risk of public and indoor gatherings, the province of Alberta recommends honouring veterans with a moment of private reflection, hanging poppies in a window  at home, and learning about Canadian military history.

For further information you can either contact Jennie Emery or you can visit the town’s website at coaldale.ca.