Poppies are placed on a cross at the end of Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Grand Parade in Halifax in 2020.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
A Halifax-area school is walking back its request that service members not attend its Remembrance Day ceremony in uniform, following an outburst of anger including from the Nova Scotia premier, who said the initial ask was “disgraceful and demeaning.”
The comments by Premier Tim Houston, who is campaigning ahead of the Nov. 26 provincial election, were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school – Sackville Heights Elementary. A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that they arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”
In response, Houston, leader of the Progressive Conservatives, accused the school administration of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.
“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston said.
The premier’s message was uploaded to Reddit, collecting more than 670 comments, most of which were critical of the school.
In an e-mail to families Thursday night, principal Rachael Webster apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”
“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster said.
The school had asked that service members not attend in their uniforms out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms. Students who don’t want to see Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, she said in the email without providing details.
Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a reply from a spokesperson for the school offered no new information.
The chairman of Nova Scotia’s branch of the Royal Canadian Legion says he doesn’t blame people who are outraged. In an interview on Friday, Tom Young said Nova Scotia is the province that sends the higher number of people per capita into the Armed Forces – and that’s been true for generations.
“When that happens in our backyard, it really becomes personal to all members that served they’re outraged and I don’t blame them,” Young said.
At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the school walked back its initial request, but he said he is still concerned.
“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.
“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s reversal, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.
“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices. She said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the situation to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”
“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said.