This year, we are joining school districts in the Thompson-Okanagan region who have made a commitment to lowering flags to half-mast from the start of the day on November 8th, National Indigenous Veterans Day, until November 12, 2024.
Please note that Friday, November 8 is National Indigenous Veterans Day. Because this day is the Friday prior to the Remembrance Day holiday, schools will be hosting their Remembrance Day assemblies on National Indigenous Veterans Day. Please consider making a point of specifically acknowledging and including Indigenous Veterans on this day.
The half-masting of national flags is a well-established procedure whereby countries bestow an honour and express a collective sense of sorrow. Given that such flags are recognized as paramount symbols of their nations, the act of half-masting is a dramatic visual statement that speaks to the sense of loss that is shared by the community.
Thank you in advance for honouring those who lost their lives and acknowledging the sorrow of those who were close to them and anyone who was impacted by loss.