Student Tour Blog

Written by Laura Oland

On the second day of our trip, we spent the first part of the day in Dunkirk, France. Thought it had not been part of our original itinerary, it turned out to be an excellent addition. It happened to be the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, and in honour of the occasion, there were special events taking place across the city. These included live-action demonstrations, people dressed in period-appropriate soldier uniforms, and even a fleet of the original Dunkirk “little ships” that had sailed over from England for the commemoration. We were incredibly fortunate to be invited aboard one of these ships, the Brown Owl, where the owners graciously hosted us. They shared stories of their voyage from England to France and recounted the history of the men who had once crossed those same waters to rescue stranded soldiers during the evacuation of Dunkirk. It was a move and unforgettable experience.

That afternoon, we travelled back to Ypres, Belgium, to attend the Menin Gate ceremony in the evening. To start, one of the students gave a touching presentation about a soldier whose name is engraved on the gate, which served as a beautiful introduction to our time there as a group. Afterwards, we found a spot and waited for the daily Last Post ceremony to begin. I was honoured to be one of the students selected to lay a poppy bouquet on behalf of the Canadian Battlefields Foundation. The experience was more meaningful than I could have ever imagined. Although the ceremony takes place every single day, it continues to draw large crowds, visitors from all over the world, each deeply moved in their own way. At one point, I looked to my right and saw an elderly gentleman tearing up. His wife gently comforted him, and it was immediately clear how much the ceremony meant to him. The emotional weight of a simple, 30 minute ritual, repeated daily, still resonates so powerfully with all who witness it. As we walked up in pairs to place our bouquet, the music played by the orchestra was triumphant and beautiful. It added a layer of reverence to an already powerful ceremony, one I will never forget.