'We remember them' at home

17 Wing's chaplain says that the "where" in remembering veterans is not as important as the "why."

Major Kevin Olive, also known as Padre Olive, is 17 Wing's chaplain. He says every member of the Canadian Armed Forces must serve at a Remembrance Day service, but this year will be different.

"Remember to pray that people would feel God's presence, feel hope, and also we have to remember that there are those who perished in war, but there are those who still suffer today from the scars of war."

Olive says that that grieving on Wednesday will feel different. 

"We are living in a time with shared grief. It is very difficult, and it is strange to us. And if you think of Remembrance Day, Remembrance Day is really shared grief."

He says the day is not about supporting the military, but about remembering losses. 

The padre says at home services will be the norm this year for families in Manitoba.

"I will probably be at home this time," Olive says. "I live very close to a cemetery where there are a lot of military members buried... I just may go over to one of those places where I know one of the soldiers."

Olive says Manitobans can show their support for veterans in ways like watching an online service and taking time to remember.

"I thought, wouldn't that be something, if we all at 11 o'clock, we just stopped."

For the chaplain, the most important thing about the day is doing one specific thing. 

"We do remember. That is probably the most important thing at the end of the day."

The chaplain says prayers of remembrance are encouraged.

"I think it is important for us to pray for those who have moral injuries or they are just going through challenges."

He says in 1919, Armatist Day was enacted in celebration of the end of World War I. He says on November 11, until 1931, Armatist Day and Thanksgiving were on the same day. After people began together, Remembrance Day became an official day in 1931 and thanksgiving later moved earlier in the year. 

Olive has seen a resurgence in Remembrance Day's popularity following wars in Afganistan and Iraq, people have felt a strong tug towards the day.

"I think it has become more and more important for us to just appreciate those who have given their all and those who lost so much."