A Sarnia man is baffled that students at an elementary school near his house were outside playing at 11 a.m. on Monday.
Jay Gudrie, who lives on Montcalm Avenue, tells Sarnia News Today it was anything but silent in his neighbourhood on November 11 as he marked Remembrance Day.
"My house backs onto Coronation Park, which is kind of shared with the Queen [Elizabeth II] school yard and I was observing the moment of silence at 11 o'clock and all I could hear was kids screaming," said Gudrie.
He said he instantly questioned why the children weren't observing a moment of silence as well.
"I'm not a veteran by any means, but I do know quite a few and it's just upsetting," Gudrie said. "It's not that my moment of silence was interrupted, it's that they should be observing that moment of silence as well to understand why we're doing this."
Gudrie said usually he's working on Remembrance Day, so he's never noticed it before.
"I'm a pipefitter with [UA Local] 663 here in Sarnia. At work, we always observe the moment of silence whether we're out working or not. Guys will set their watches to know when the moment of silence is so we can stop work and observe that moment of silence for a minute," he said.
When asked for an explanation, Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) Public Relations Officer Caress Lee told Sarnia News Today all LKDSB schools recognize November 11 as Remembrance Day.
"How this is recognized, and at which time(s) during the day does vary from school to school," Lee said in an email. "While some moments of silence occur during a school assembly directly at 11 a.m., others may occur earlier or later in the day -- and often, both. Many schools will host a morning and afternoon assembly, for instance."
Lee said Queen Elizabeth II School held its Remembrance Day observance and presentation in the first block of the day, as their lunch break takes place between 10:40 and 11:20 a.m.
Lee added LKDSB "educators work with students leading up to Remembrance Day to ensure they understand the true meaning of the day and understand the 'why' behind the commemoration."