Lest We Forget. From November 1 to November 11, this solemn phrase adorns shopping malls, coffee shops, grocery stores, and storefronts across Canada in observance of Remembrance Day. Throughout these eleven days, Canadians pin a bright red poppy over their hearts to honour the fallen, as well as the veterans and active-duty soldiers who continue to serve.
In this enduring motto, the word lest means for fear that or so that it does not happen. Far more than a passive reminder, the phrase acts as a grave warning about the consequences of letting history fade from our collective memory.
To say Lest We Forget is to acknowledge that forgetting is not merely an oversight, but a dangerous failure. It is a call to vigilance, urging future generations not to repeat the tragedies of the past or take the hard-won cost of freedom for granted. Because “lest” is rarely heard in everyday modern speech, its archaic weight lends gravity, urgency, and moral duty to our commemorative ceremonies.
English poet Rudyard Kipling popularized the exact phrase in his 1897 poem Recessional, written for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Kipling repeated the refrain—Lest We Forget—Lest We Forget!—to warn the British Empire against arrogance, cautioning that the national pride would lead a nation to ruin if it forgot its humility and the sacrifices of its soldiers.
Following the devastation of the First World War, the phrase was widely adopted across Canada and the Commonwealth for Remembrance Day. While expressions like Thank you for your service convey heartfelt gratitude, Lest We Forget stands as an active vow. It demands that society remember the true human cost of war—both to honour those who gave their lives and to prevent such conflicts from ever happening again.
On November 11, 2026, the City of Mississauga gathered for a solemn Remembrance Day service to uphold that vow. City officials, soldiers, veterans, first responders, students, and citizens—all wearing the red poppy—stood united in quiet reflection to pay their respects.
Standing among the crowd in Mississauga today, wearing a poppy over my heart, the weight of those three words felt deeply personal. Having worn a uniform myself, I know that behind every date in a history book or name etched on a cenotaph lies a quiet camaraderie, unspoken sacrifices, and families who carried the burden alongside those who served.
Borders and generations change, yet the bond among soldiers remains universal. As the bugle sounded the Last Post across the square, it was a powerful reminder that remembrance is not just about looking backward—it is a living promise we keep to one another, ensuring that the courage of those who stood on guard is never forgotten.
As the haunting notes of the Last Post echoed across the grounds, I raised my hand in salute, my mind filling with memories of the officers and soldiers from our Regiment who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the motherland. Among them, the image of Captain Pratap Singh, Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous), lingered longest in my thoughts until the bugler finally sounded the Rouse.
