Growing tribute to fallen heroes

ADVICE

Next week is Remembrance Week, from Monday, Nov. 5, to Sunday, Nov. 11. It is a time to reflect and honour Canada’s fallen defenders.

Of all the words that we use to describe what happens during Remembrance Week, we never use the word “celebrate.” There is a good reason for this — we don’t want to celebrate war, but rather honour those who served and were injured and the many who died to defend the freedom that we enjoy today in Canada.

We would like to suggest that there is one reason to celebrate during this year’s Remembrance Week: peace.

This November 11th is not just another Remembrance Day, it is the 100th anniversary of Armistice, the day the First World War ended.

As we reflect and learn about the costliest war ever, we have numerous

reasons to be sober and sombre. Atree for every hero. Three years ago, this Toronto Star column explained a new campaign to acknowledge the sacrifice of many Canadians who served in our Armed Forces during times of war — including 117,000 war dead.

The Highway of Heroes, which stretches between Canadian Forces Base Trenton and the Forensic Services and Coroner’s Complex in the Keele Street and Hwy. 401 area, was created during the Afghan conflict. The bodies of Canadians who were lost in war were flown to CFB Trenton and repatriated there, on Canadian soil. As hearses drove across Hwy. 401, thousands of Canadians stood on bridges and along the highway in an outpouring of respect, and to reflect and ponder the loss of a Canadian life while in service to the country.

No one will claim that this stretch of Hwy. 401 should win any awards for its natural beauty — or for its positive environmental impact. But the last part of that sentence is changing.

The Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign aims to plant 117,000 trees along Hwy. 401, one for each of Canada’s war dead since 1812. As well, 1.8 million more trees are being planted on “the other side of the farmers’ fence,” one for each Canadian who volunteered for military service during times of war. Milestones. The past year has been very exciting for our campaign.

David and Sharon Johnston agreed to join as honorary patrons. David was Canada’s governor general from 2010 to 2017, and Sharon was the honorary captain of the Royal Canadian Navy. Both are committed to helping us reach our goals and have already been extraordinary in doing so.

Don Cherry surprised us with a very kind, handwritten note and a personal cash donation just a couple of months ago. He wrote: “I would be honoured to be an advocate for the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute. Please use my name in connection with the campaign. Thanks, Don.” There is no doubt he’s a beauty of a guy (eh?). He now appears in a special video on our website hohtribute.ca. In the meantime, keep a close ear the next time you see him on Hockey Night in Canada. Planting. We have planted more than 90,000 trees — 75,000 in the past couple of months alone. As we ramp up our planting schedule, we are planning on planting many more trees next spring and fall. By 2019, we are targeting 50 per cent of our goal for right-of-way plant- ings and several hundred thousand of the trees near the highway.

Our partners at the Ministry of Transportation continue to be critically important to the success of this living memorial. Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign is the only organization authorized by the MTO to plant on the Highway of Heroes, and we are thankful for their continued help and support on many levels. Donations. This year, we raised over $1.9 million toward our goal of $10 million. Currently, we stand at $3.6 million, with thanks to many Canadians who have stepped up to the plate to make a contribution. Many are individual Canadians — they include two Silver Cross Mothers, who lost their sons during the Afghan war.

There are many organizations and people who have been generous with in-kind donations of trees, planting services, soil, mulch and more.

And finally, Landscape Ontario and its members have been more than generous in their support.

To find out more, to help us during our public planting days or to donate, please go to hohtribute.ca.

THE CANADIAN PRESS Don Cherry says he’s “honoured to be an advocate” of the campaign.

HOHTRIBUTE.CA Students help plant trees at Newcastle Public School, which is adjacent to the Highway of Heroes.

HOHTRIBUTE.CA An artist’s rendering of trees planted along Hwy. 401 as part of the living tribute to Canada’s fallen war heroes.

SEAN KILPATRICK THE CANADIAN PRESS David Johnston, former governor general of Canada, and his wife have become honorary patrons of the campaign.