Since the opening of the War Memorial Gym in 1951, The University of British Columbia has held a ceremony commemorating November 11. This year, 2021 will mark seventy years that The University of British Columbia has hosted a Remembrance Day ceremony.
This special ceremony is an opportunity for faculty, staff, students and members of the on and off-campus community to honour and remember all those who served in times of war, military conflict and peace.
The Remembrance Day Ceremony will include short readings, remarks from special guests and musical performances by the UBC’s School of Music.
During this week, hundreds of commemorative ceremonies and events will take place across the country to recognize the achievements of our Veterans and honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
For more information please visit the Veterans Affairs Canada website.
Did you know that of the 1,680 UBC students who served in the Great Wars, 247 lost their lives? The interest in securing a living memorial to fallen student-soldiers and the need to expand physical education facilities led UBC and the student community to raise funds to build the War Memorial Gym, where the UBC School of Kinesiology and UBC Athletics still reside today.
The gym has served as an important space of commemoration at the annual Remembrance Day Ceremonies, acting as a physical and symbolic link between the present-day UBC community and the generations that came before.
UBC’s war dead included physical education graduate, James Douglas Hamilton. After serving as a Navy Patrolman in the North Atlantic during World War II, Hamilton enrolled in the UBC Canadian Officer Training Corps while studying for the physical education degree, and returned to action as a lieutenant in the battle for the Korean Peninsula. After learning that he has been killed in action, his friends and classmates established an undergraduate bursary, the Lieutenant James Douglas Hamilton Prize, in his memory.
The School of Kinesiology continues to maintain a focus on Canada’s veterans through Purpose After Service through Sport (PASS). This research project is being led by Kinesiology professor Dr. Mark Beauchamp in collaboration with Rupert Whiting (Treble Victor Group) and veterans working in the Centre for Group Counselling & Trauma at UBC. The PASS program is a team effort and works in partnership with the Seaforth Highlanders.
Upon completing active service, military veterans are at increased risk of diminished mental health. The importance of social connectivity and physical activity are important as a means of improving mental health and quality of life among veterans. The PASS program was developed to provide veterans with the opportunity to socially connect, take part in some regular physical activity, and provide them with supports for day-to-day living.
Learn more by visiting https://passprogram.ca/.