SKSS REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY 2017 (Master Script)
1 Territory Acknowledgment and “Women Warrior Song”
“O Canada” performed by Mackenzie Sewell
2 “First They Came” by Martin Niemöller
AMNA: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
3 “War Is Never Over” by Cecil L. Harrison
DOUGAL: War is never over (soldiers stand at attention and salute on cue)
Though the treaties may be signed (NICK, AMNA, JACOB, TYE)
The memories of the battles
Are forever in our minds
JENNA: War is never over (loved ones approach and embrace, then on cue
So when you welcome heroes home soldiers turn and walk towards audience
Remember in their minds they hold leaving loved ones’ arms extended)
Memories known to them alone (KES, MAX, JEEVA, MADISON, ETHAN)
LI: War is never over (person is seated, rocking back and forth
Our veterans know this well holding head)
Now other wars bring memories back (JAIDA)
Of their own eternal hell
KADEN: War is never over (person “tosses and turns” then sits up)
For I knew world war two (SOFIA)
And I'll not forget the battles
Or the nightmares that ensue
ELLA: War is never over (people walk up to and place flowers on the cross)
Those left home to wait know this (KEANNA, JENSEN, JADE, KELLY, ROXANNE, TOBIE)
For many still are waiting
It was their farewell kiss
DOUG: War is never over (all walk into a line, then slowly
Though we win the victory lie down side by side with arms at sides)
Still in our minds the battles (ALL)
No freedom is not free!
4 “The Wheelchair” JADE WOOD
(Jade is seated DSL reading a book. Kaden enters with letter, pauses and takes a deep breath then moves to Jade and kisses her on the head)
KADEN: Mom, I love you.
JADE: I love you too honey, who’s that letter from?
KADEN: I’ve been conscripted mom.
JADE: (Stands and takes the letter) What? (She stares into the distance)
KADEN: Mom say something.
JADE: I can’t, I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose you. Lenny, you are all I’ve got in this world, all I care about. If anything happens to you I couldn’t live with myself.
KADEN: I know mom, I love you so much. (hugs mom as lights black out)
(Tobie is pacing DC during his shift on guard, while Kaden restlessly sleeps against a block)
KADEN: (in his sleep) Watch out!
TOBIE: (kneels beside and shakes Lenny awake) Lenny! Lenny!
KADEN: (wakes up yelling)
TOBIE: You were having a nightmare.
KADEN: I’m sorry, I get them sometimes.
TOBIE: Don’t be sorry I get them too. Mine are usually about my parents’ car accident.
KADEN: Mine are always different, but they always end with someone I love dying.
(battle sounds are heard )
TOBIE: Stay low. Let’s move.
KADEN: George! Look out grenade!! (pushes him out of the way and is thrown by the blast)
(black out)
(Kaden is seated in a wheelchair with a table and phone nearby,; Tobie enters)
KADEN: (feeling Tobie’s hand on his shoulder) George?
TOBIE: Hey Lenny, how are you feeling?
KADEN: My head hurts a little.
TOBIE: Yeah, it’s gonna hurt for a while.
KADEN: I can’t move my legs.
TOBIE: I heard that. When you hit the ground you crushed your spine. I'm so sorry.
KADEN: How am I supposed to take care of my mom if she has to take care of me.
TOBIE: Everything is going to be alright. Your mom is a strong woman. I’m sure she’ll manage.
KADEN: I haven’t told her.
TOBIE: Well, you’re going to have to. (Wheels Kaden to table and phone which he dials)
(lights up on Jade as phone rings. She answers it.)
JADE: Hello?
KADEN: Hey mom.
JADE: Lenny?! (stands) Oh my God, are you okay? A nurse called and told me you were in the hospital.
KADEN: I’m okay, just hurt my back a little but ok.
JADE: Are you sure? You sound a little upset.
KADEN: Don’t worry. It’s...nothing major. (pause) Mom, I just have a question?
JADE: Yes, Lenny?
KADEN: I have a...friend - George. He was hurt really bad and now he’s in a wheelchair. He doesn’t have anyone at home who can take care of him. I’m just wondering...do you think he could...can he stay with us?
JADE: (pauses to think and sits back in the chair) I’m sorry, son, but the house - it’s so small, and all the stairs. Everything would have to be renovated. That would be so expensive and you know we don’t have the money for that. I’m really sorry Lenny - I just don’t think we could make it work.
KADEN: I understand. (pause) I won’t be home for a long time now, mom. I’ve signed up for another tour. I don’t want you to worry about me. I love you so very much.
JADE: What? No! I thought you were supposed to be coming home in 2 months.
KADEN: I know, but they really need me. I’m so sorry mom. I have to go. There's a huge line up behind me. I love you, mom.
JADE: Lenny, I love you so much, please be safe and come back to me - I need you here, too.
(Kaden looks at Tobie and shakes his head. Tobie puts his hand on Kaden’s shoulder who puts his head in his hands as lights fade.)
5 “Is That All You Got?” TYE HANSEN
(Starts with a Tye standing over Kes’s body. Dougal enters from UL and is shot. Kaden enters from DR and is shot. All others enter and surround Tye.)
TYE: STOP! (all others freeze in position) Is that all you got?
The way you plot with a gunshot
To let my body rot?
Caught in the stasis of war, where more gore is looked upon as a score
Rather than opening doors,
To peace and equality
Full of quality in that,
If we worked on our problems without wars to solve them
We’d advance rather than falling back
Killing for the feeling of surviving death yourself
But will be haunted for the actions you dealt
Felt, scary for me, varying means, carrying scenes of death (Jenna shoots Tye who kneels)
But I cannot tell, seen heaven and hell, and I’m starting to run out of breath
For my whole family, fell from this tragédie
Taking the lives like it’s theft
No sense of sanity, loss in humanity. (Doug shoots Tye who falls with face towards audience)
There truly is nothing left (Tye’s head turns away from audience and he dies)
(Others rise and slowly walk towards the audience as lights fade)
6 “Fragile Facade” LI KARPUK and “I’m Sorry” KEANNA SALE
LI: Every day since I’ve come home has been an act. I plaster on a smile and hide my mind beneath this fragile facade. For the scenes I have playing behind my eyes, for what is Ingrained in my mind - the horrors I have seen and experienced. It would be too much for any one person to hold, and yet I hold it.
KEANNA: I still see his face in my dreams. Nightmares rather. Those big brown eyes, basically pleading for mercy.
LI: I keep it and hold it and let it fester and grow. And still I try to keep it quiet. When I hear the toast pop up I’m sure it’s the start of the enemies fire or when the blender is turned on I know it’s their planes flying over head and that I am once again only seconds away from being ground into the dirt beneath my feet. Like they were. But then, suddenly I am back. I am in the kitchen and I am gripping my coffee cup too tight.
KEANNA: He was crouched behind a tree, his dark brown hair was buzzed nearly to his scalp. He seemed nervous, I don't think he wanted to be there. He still had a youthful innocence written all over his face, as if he hadn’t graduated high school yet. He was the only person I’d ever killed. Why did he have to be near the outpost I was scouting? He was so young. I was so young! He didn't deserve to die, not yet. I robbed him of his life. The greatest gift he would ever receive. I see his face everywhere I go.
LI: My children look at me with such innocence and joy and ask me to come play. But, I can’t. I must keep it quiet. I can not return myself to that state of innocence, I have seen too much and have missed too much. I left them so others may have the joy and comfort they have and yet now I am the one in need of saving.
KEANNA: My friends don't invite me to go out anymore because whenever I leave the house I just shut down. Everything goes black and... I panic. The world is my battleground and everyone is against me. My house isn't even safe. I have to sleep with the lights on. The darkness reminds me of that day. Everything was so dark the day I... As he hit the ground I lunged to find out what his name was from his dog tags, but we were under fire and I couldn’t get to him in time.
LI: I fake smiles and fake normalcy. I must keep it quiet. They play along to my theatrics. I know that despite my best effort, they can still see and feel my anger, which is no longer easy to control. No, it runs unrestrained and wild, hurting and tearing into those I love. It is a wild cat and I am only the mouse it toys with. It’s pushing them. They are small birds stuck between its claws. They must also fake smiles. They also keep it quiet, they fear what I’ve become.
KEANNA: I’ve been trying to block out everything from my time in the military. But I just can’t forget the kid’s face. I’m so sorry for what I did, I never really wanted to hurt anyone. He deserves to be the one sitting here, not me. I’m sorry, I'm sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’M SORRY!
LI: The war broke not only our country but my family. And me.
7 “Holocaust Timeline” DOUGAL SPEED
(Projections throughout depicting what is being described)
IDENTIFICATION (SOFIA, JAIDA, ETHAN, MAX)
E: Hitler’s Nürnberg Laws made Jewish people subjects of the state, and forbade interracial
marriage between Jews and non-Jews.
S: The next form of identification was through a census system which all Jewish people
Were required to complete.
J: The census made it possible to identify Jewish people including where Jewish
populations were located, and how many were living in one area.
M: In addition, the census information allowed the Nazis to know the exact location of each
Jewish family.
E: After being identified through census systems, the Jewish population was forced to carry
or wear a form of identification, and change their names to make identification easier.
(scene where three people - DOUG, KES, JEEVA - are singled out for identification - TYE, JACOB - and when they show their papers, the documents are torn up and they are given a paper with either SARA or ISRAEL written on it)
J: By the end of 1939, all Jews were required to wear identifying badges - the yellow Star of
David.
S: This was one of many psychological tactics aimed at isolating and dehumanizing the
Jews by directly marking them as being different and therefore inferior to everyone else.
M: Those who failed or refused to wear the badge risked severe punishment, including
death.
ISOLATION (KES, AMNA, DOUG, JEEVA)
K: Jews were subjected to discriminatory legislation that revoked their citizenship and
banished them from economic life.
D: Nazi soldiers stood in front of Jewish-owned shops and department stores and the offices
of professionals such as doctors and lawyers, preventing people from entering.
A: The Star of David was painted on doors and windows, and signs were posted saying
"Don't Buy from Jews."
K: Jewish government workers, including teachers in public schools and universities, were
fired.
J: Jews were evicted from their homes without reason and notice.
D: Ghettos were set up to segregate Jews from the rest of the population.
(scene where specific individuals - MAX, JENNA, TOBIE - in a group are illuminated by a beam of light and all others move away from them until only they are left in a small group on the stage in a beam of light)
A: These ghettos were designed to be temporary; some lasted only a few days or weeks,
others for several years.
J: The vast majority of ghetto inhabitants died from disease or starvation, were shot, or were
deported to killing centers.
DEPORTATION (JACOB, TYE, JENSEN, KEANNA)
T: The Jewish population was now largely concentrated in the ghettos, and deportations
from these ghettos to extermination camps began.
K: Jews received orders to present themselves at assembly points where each person was
issued with an “evacuation number“ - a number for the death transport.
JE: Before deportation, they had to hand over the keys to their homes, and received strict
orders to pay all outstanding bills for water, electricity and gas.
JA: Trucks and freight trains were used to transport the condemned populations to the death
camps, and they often had to pay the railway transportation costs themselves.
T: The deported Jews were allowed to take luggage with them with a maximum weight
of 50 kg.
(scene where luggage is taken away - ETHAN - from several people as they are forced onto a platform representing a cattle car and their luggage is added to a pile of suitcases - JADE, MAX)
K: Jewish prisoners were packed tightly into cattle trucks and locked inside for days as the
trains travelled to the camps.
JE: There were no seats, or windows, and only a bucket for human waste.
JA: Some of them died of starvation and cold, some of them suffocated, and some were
executed upon arrival at the extermination camps.
EXTERMINATION (NICK, DOUGAL, LI, ELLA)
N: Jews and others were methodically killed in specially constructed killing centres known
as death camps.
D: Many were killed within hours of arrival at the camp.
L: Husbands were separated from wives, and mothers were separated from their children.
E: Those who had the strength were put to work digging mass graves into which they would
fall after bursts of machine gun fire.
N: Others were taken on death marches that lasted for days in freezing conditions.
L: The gas chambers were created as an efficient means to kill large numbers of people
who had become too weak to work.
(3 tableaux: girls lined up for the showers, girls in a small area looking up as if at shower head, girls dead on the ground)
D: In the last months of war, the discovery of the horrors of the concentration camp system
brought the staggering scope of Nazi atrocities to the attention of the world.
E: Eleven million people died in the Holocaust. Six million of those victims were Jewish.
LIBERATION (JENNA, KADEN, TOBIE, JADE)
JE: When the Nazis realized the allies were approaching, they attempted to demolish the
camps to hide the evidence of mass murder.
T: Soldiers found thousands of emaciated prisoners alive when they entered the camps.
JA: They also found storehouses containing the personal belongings of the victims.
K: They discovered enormous piles of men's suits, and women's dresses, and
thousands of pounds of human hair.
JE: Liberating soldiers confronted unspeakable conditions in the Nazi camps, where piles of
Corpses lay unburied.
(soldiers - DOUG, DOUGAL - enter SR and walk upstage of pile of bodies, then cross L to help survivors who are showing the tattoos on their arms)
T: Many survivors suffered feelings of guilt for being alive when so many of their friends and
family had died.
JA: Many people who made it out of the camps died after liberation because their bodies had
sustained too much abuse to permit survival.
K: For the liberators, the horror of what they experienced - the sights, the sounds, and the
smells - never faded in their memories.
8 “The Journey from Germany to Canada” JENNA CARLSON-MITTON
JENNA: My grandfather seemed to have tried everything, so when my determined grandmother
left the house that day with cigarettes and packages of sausages and bacon he didn't have
much faith. They had been living just outside of Berlin for two years since being forced to leave
Poland. They still talk about those men bursting into their living room with machine guns as they
yelled at them in Russian. They were all huddled in the corner, and my grandmother was the
only one who spoke Russian, so she demanded to know what they wanted. They were told to
leave. They were forced out of their home. They moved in with the widow of a farmer who they
did work for in exchange for them to live with her. After living and working there for awhile they
started trying to come up with a plan to find a better home; however, they were told they could
not leave. The family had little hope for the future, but not my grandmother. The German dollar
was nearly worthless at that point in the war, so bribing the authorities with money wouldn’t
work, but my grandmother knew those men would have a hard time saying no to a strong willed
woman that had come bearing meat and cigarettes. She came home with a small piece of paper
with enormous power. The power to let them leave. With that paper they were given a train car
and that was enough, although they did need more cigarettes, sausages, and bacon to get that
train car moving. They would bribe the conductors to attach their train car and they would pull it
to the next town and they’d do it over again. Some nights they’d sleep in that train car waiting to
have another train come by that they could hook onto. It took awhile, but they were finally in
West Germany where they were put as refugees into a home that had sufficient space for the
family. My grandmother’s step sister had immigrated to Saskatchewan years before and she
became their representative which made it possible for them to come to Canada after a while.
Life had changed for the better. There were no men with machine guns in their living room, and
no fighter planes flying above their playgrounds. They were finally safe.
9 “The Stigma” NICK BOUNDS
V/O KADEN: Before the second world war began, Heinz spent his early life in Fuerth, a small
Town near Nuremberg where his family ran a textile business.
(Kes is talking with Sofia SL when Doug enters with a bolt of fabric which he hands to Sofia)
SOFIA: Thank you!
KES: Haben Sie einen guten Tag! (translation: “Have a good day!”)
(lights black out)
V/O KADEN: Heinz led a normal life as a young boy and went to a traditional German grammar
school.
(Jenna is standing with a book in front of a group of seated students, some of whom raise their hand on cue. Jenna gestures to Nick, who stands as the lights black out. Several exit.)
V/O KADEN: In his final years of school, Heinz was one of only three Jewish students who still remained.
(Lights back up on Jenna who stands in front of a smaller group with gaps where the others once sat. Lights black out)
V/O KADEN: One night, Heinz was woken by a phone call from his mother at 4 am. She told him (V/O Amna) "Father's gone away," which was code for "he's been arrested," and told Heinz "go for a walk immediately.”
(Nick is holding a phone receiver in a small pool of blue light)
V/O KADEN: Heinz spent the next 16 hours walking the streets, and saw the synagogues burning, smoke everywhere, and groups of Jews being rounded up and marched through the streets.
(Nick crosses from SR to SL looking upstage as lights flicker red/orange and images of persecuted people in groups and burning buildings and are projected. Lights black out.)
V/O KADEN: Eventually, Heinz’s brother, Frank, managed to get Heinz a trainee post in a clothing factory. He and Frank concentrated all their efforts on getting their family out of Nuremberg. They finally managed to get visas, and they arrived in England on August 27th, a mere four days before war broke out.
(Nick, Dougal, Kes, Jeeva, Jaida, Max, Madison enter with suitcases from DSL. Nick, Dougal, and Kes stop and look around while others move upstage and exit L)
V/O KADEN: But on the outbreak of war any Germans living in England immediately came under suspicion, no matter what their circumstances.
(Lights up on SL as Kes walks towards Li who is a shop owner, and Li turns her “open” sign to “closed” and glares at Kes, who steps back and walks away. Li reverses sign back to “open.” Lights crossfade to Nick and Dougal who have caught the attention of Jaida, Max, Madison, and Jeeva. Nick and Dougal walk towards the girls, but when they speak, the girls turn their backs and exit. Lights crossfade to C where Kes is joined by Dougal and Nick)
NICK: We didn’t do anything wrong.
DOUGALl: We were stigmatized for being from Germany.
KES: But what did we expect? Mercy in a pitiless world?
(Lights black out)
10 “Code Breakers” SOFIA SCHOLEFIELD
(Projection: Code breakers were forbidden from telling their families about their work with the Commonwealth Allies because they had signed the “Official Secrets Act” which pledged secrecy for 90 years.)
(Projection: Women code breakers at work)
(Dougal and Jaida enter through SL pros slot and Jaida stops and looks up to grandmother’s window. She waves)
JAIDA: Bye, Grandma! (she turns and walks to Dougal who is looking for his keys) What did Grandma Mia do in the war Dad? She never wants to talk about it when I ask her. She says she’s not allowed to tell me what she did.
DOUGAL: Well...she didn’t fight like the men did...she helped but she was far from the front lines. Your grandmother...typed out letters in the office, and would...run errands for the men.
JAIDA: What does that mean?
DOUGAL: Well, she would have to go out to grab them coffee so that they had enough energy to work through a long day.
JAIDA: That’s all she did! (looks back up at window) Why couldn’t she tell me that? Grandma Mia was just a secretary for the men? (looks out towards the audience) I always dreamed she was doing something more important. Anybody could’ve gotten coffee.
(lights crossfade to tables where women are listening through headphones and transcribing as we hear the sound of machines running. Ethan enters and puts a cup of coffee down for Li)
ETHAN: How are the bombe drums doing?
SOFIA: They haven’t stopped turning. It means it’s not broken, which is good, but it also means that the Nazi code is still gibberish to us.
LI: We’re so close I can feel it. Any day now, the bombes will stop turning and it’ll us that keep the Atlantic safe from all U-boats.
SOFIA: What will you do after. You know… the whole Official Secrets Act. No one will ever thank us or see us as heroes.
LI: I don’t need my country’s validation to feel proud. I would do anything to protect it. Not being able to tell my family on the other hand, will be hard.
(Bombe machine noise suddenly stops)
(Projection: On February first 1942, Hut 8 shortened the war by two years, and kept the Atlantic safe from U-boats. The Nazi enigma code was finally broken at Bletchley Park, England.)
11 “Only as a Nurse” JENSEN CUMMING
JENSEN: I remember my mom telling me how my grandma always had a wish to be able to fight for her country. Time after time, she was denied the opportunity. She never understood why they wouldn’t accept someone, whose life goal was to contribute to her country's army, just for being a female. People kept telling her, her hope was useless and to give up and to just stay home and care for her children. All this did was infuriate her. Made her more determined. She never gave up. Sure enough, she got a letter back saying they would accept her, but only as a nurse to help the injured soldiers. But that isn’t what she wanted, she wanted to fight. She declined the position and she waited in hopes to get another chance. It was almost 50 years later but a letter finally came. For me. I have been accepted into the army to fight for my country. My grandma is beyond proud. Women are finally being recognized for our will to fight.
12 “LGBTQ” LI KARPUK
(LGBTQ soldiers have some kind of an identifying costume piece)
V/O LI: In Canada, any able-bodied man or woman can serve in our military. In 1967 our government passed a law saying that the military could no longer discriminate for gender or sexual identity. Prior to then, and even today in some countries, soldiers who are LGBTQ+ are prevented from joining the military. Those who are determined to serve are forced to hide their identities and if they are discovered, they are a dishonourably discharged for any number of ridiculous and inaccurate excuses, such as...
“They possess a psychopathic personality paired with an abnormal sexuality.”
13 “Cree Code-talkers” AMNA QAZI
(Projection: During the first and second world wars, thousands of Aboriginal men and women voluntarily enlisted in Canada’s armed forces. They served in units with other Canadians, and in every theatre in which Canadian forces took part. Their notable contributions to the war effort became a source of inspiration and self-confidence to themselves, to their communities, and to Canadians in general.)
ROXANNE: Mom, why can’t I go outside? Why do you make me stay inside and learn Cree?
ELLA: It’s an important skill dear. You never know when it will help you.
ROXANNE: But mom, how could it help me! Nobody speaks Cree anymore.
ELLA: Let me tell you a story, maybe that will change your mind. Come, sit next to me. (girl moves to sit next to mother) Many years before you were born, a war broke out. During the war, messages were
intercepted and if they were written in codes, the codes were broken. But guess what? Canada had a secret weapon. One that no one else had.
ROXANNE: A secret weapon? What kind of a secret weapon?
ELLA: This weapon was unlike any other: it was language. You see, our aboriginal languages are unknown around the world. Brave aboriginal soldiers, known as code-talkers would deliver messages in Cree and other aboriginal languages. Our enemies couldn’t find out what the messages said no matter how hard they tried.
ROXANNE: I think I understand now. It’s sad that more people don’t still speak our language. Don’t they understand how important it was during the war?
ELLA: Sometimes, some facts get hidden under more...publicized ones. It’s our job to make sure that people don’t forget.
14 “Prince/Norwest/Wreath” MAX KOPYTKO, MADISON LONG, JEEVA GILL, JACOB LAING
(Projection: Thomas George Prince)
V/O JEEVA: Born in Manitoba in 1915, Thomas George Prince grew up to be one of Canada’s most decorated First Nations soldiers to have fought during both World War II and the Korean war. Prince volunteered to fight with the Canadian Military and although he easily met most of the requirements, he was rejected many times until he was finally accepted on June 3, 1940.
(two soldiers salute each other)
V/O MADISON: In 1942, he received special training as a paratrooper. Only one in ten people finished this difficult course - Thomas was that one, and became a member of the 1st Special Service Force, a group of the toughest men from both Canada and the United States. This force was so feared by the Nazis, it became known to them as the Devil’s Brigade.
(we see ten people - JAIDA, SOFIA, TYE*, KES**, DOUGAL***, JADE, JENSEN*, JENNA, ETHAN**, KADEN - in a line: five* step forward, three** take another step, then one*** steps forward and salutes)
V/O JEEVA: In honour of Thomas Prince’s courage and bravery, he was awarded a prestigious Military Medal by the King of England.
(we see a medal presentation after which Dougal bows to Kaden, and Kaden extends a handshake)
(Projection: Henry Norwest)
V/O AMNA: Henry Norwest was one of the most prominent Canadian snipers. In his nearly three years of service with the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion, the lance corporal achieved a documented success record of 115 fatal shots. While Norwest was an outstanding marksman, the thing that set him apart from others was his superb stealth tactics and his expertise in the use of camouflage.
(we see Nick perched atop a riser box with a rifle aimed at an unseen target below)
V/O JACOB: As a result of his exceptional abilities, his superiors frequently sent him on reconnaissance missions into "No Man's Land" or behind enemy lines. The former ranch-hand and rodeo performer also merited the Military Medal and bar, making him one of roughly 830 members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to be awarded this double honour.
(we see Nick being presented with a medal, ending in a salute)
(Projection: Canada’s National War Memorial)
(Dougal and Nick stand off to the side as Jaida places a wreath. Jadia steps back and stands at attention. Li and Sofia approach and place bouquet of poppies. They then turn and walk towards Dougal and Nick)
LI: Are you here to place a wreath?
DOUGAL: We are not allowed to.
V/O MAX: Despite their sacrifice and heroism, until 1995, Canada’s aboriginal soldiers and the families of their fallen were prohibited from laying wreaths at the National War Memorial. They were equal in combat, but not at home.
15 “Domino Effect” DOUG GUILD and AMNA QAZI
AMNA: One man is killed (Projection: Archduke Ferdinand) and 16 million died as a result. (Projection: WW1) One man with power was overcome with prejudice (Projection: Hitler) and 6 million Jews were put to death and a total of 60 million people died. (Projection: WW2) The morning consequences of war can last for generations.
DOUG: My great great grandfather fought in WW1 at Vimy Ridge. In all the photos I’ve seen of him from after the war, the thing that stood out were the scars on his face. It was nighttime. He was sitting on the edge of a trench, having a smoke, when the bright red embers of his cigarette caught the attention of an
enemy soldier and made him an easy target. The bullet went right through both of his cheeks. The medic who helped him said that if the bullet had been an inch higher, he would have been killed. An inch higher and he would have died. My father would never have been born. I would never have been born. An inch higher and my family wouldn’t exist today.
(Students stand in V formation appears on stage. One by one the people make a statement, then slowly fall to the ground, maintaining the V formation. Kaden steps forward with each statement.)
C1 AMNA As a marine biologist, I could have uncovered the mysteries of the oceans.
R2 ELLA I would have pioneered the field of child psychology.
L3 JACOB As an author, I would have published the world’s best-selling novel.
R4 NICK As an astronaut, I might have colonized Mars as a new home for the human race.
L5 ETHAN As a pharmacist, I would have helped to ease people’s pain and suffering.
R6 KES I might have watched my children live long and happy lives.
L7 JENNA I would have shared my outlook on the world through poetry.
R8 TOBIE I could have entertained the world with my music.
L9 SOFIA I would have helped build the world as an engineer.
R10 KEANNA I could have won a gold medal for my country.
L11 LI I would have taught thousands of children to read.
R12 JADE As a doctor, I might have been able to prevent the spread of disease and save lives.
L13 MAX I could have been the first female world leader.
R14 JEEVA As a research scientist, I might have cured cancer.
L15 MADISON I would have choreographed the world’s most beautiful ballet.
R16 KELLY I could have developed safe alternative sources of energy.
L17 JAIDA Broadway would have been my home.
R18 TYE I could have advanced structural safety as an architect.
L19 ROXANNE I would have shown the beauty of the world as a painter.
R20 JENSEN As a nurse I could have healed the wounded.
L21 DOUGAL I am one of millions of children who were never born.
KADEN V is for Victory. My goal has been achieved. All these people have never lived as a result of me: I am hatred.
16 “Vimy Ridge”
(Projection: Vimy Ridge Memorial)
(All stand, still in the V position)
SPOKEN IN SECTIONS: Today, as we observe Remembrance Day, we also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. Today, V is for Vimy.
(as McKenzie enters, the V formation reverses or becomes a straight line for the moment of silence)
17 “Last Post” observation of a minute of silence then “Rouse” performed by Mackenzie Sewell
1 Territory Acknowledgment and “Women Warrior Song”
“O Canada” performed by Mackenzie Sewell
2 “First They Came” by Martin Niemöller
AMNA: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
3 “War Is Never Over” by Cecil L. Harrison
DOUGAL: War is never over (soldiers stand at attention and salute on cue)
Though the treaties may be signed (NICK, AMNA, JACOB, TYE)
The memories of the battles
Are forever in our minds
JENNA: War is never over (loved ones approach and embrace, then on cue
So when you welcome heroes home soldiers turn and walk towards audience
Remember in their minds they hold leaving loved ones’ arms extended)
Memories known to them alone (KES, MAX, JEEVA, MADISON, ETHAN)
LI: War is never over (person is seated, rocking back and forth
Our veterans know this well holding head)
Now other wars bring memories back (JAIDA)
Of their own eternal hell
KADEN: War is never over (person “tosses and turns” then sits up)
For I knew world war two (SOFIA)
And I'll not forget the battles
Or the nightmares that ensue
ELLA: War is never over (people walk up to and place flowers on the cross)
Those left home to wait know this (KEANNA, JENSEN, JADE, KELLY, ROXANNE, TOBIE)
For many still are waiting
It was their farewell kiss
DOUG: War is never over (all walk into a line, then slowly
Though we win the victory lie down side by side with arms at sides)
Still in our minds the battles (ALL)
No freedom is not free!
4 “The Wheelchair” JADE WOOD
(Jade is seated DSL reading a book. Kaden enters with letter, pauses and takes a deep breath then moves to Jade and kisses her on the head)
KADEN: Mom, I love you.
JADE: I love you too honey, who’s that letter from?
KADEN: I’ve been conscripted mom.
JADE: (Stands and takes the letter) What? (She stares into the distance)
KADEN: Mom say something.
JADE: I can’t, I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose you. Lenny, you are all I’ve got in this world, all I care about. If anything happens to you I couldn’t live with myself.
KADEN: I know mom, I love you so much. (hugs mom as lights black out)
(Tobie is pacing DC during his shift on guard, while Kaden restlessly sleeps against a block)
KADEN: (in his sleep) Watch out!
TOBIE: (kneels beside and shakes Lenny awake) Lenny! Lenny!
KADEN: (wakes up yelling)
TOBIE: You were having a nightmare.
KADEN: I’m sorry, I get them sometimes.
TOBIE: Don’t be sorry I get them too. Mine are usually about my parents’ car accident.
KADEN: Mine are always different, but they always end with someone I love dying.
(battle sounds are heard )
TOBIE: Stay low. Let’s move.
KADEN: George! Look out grenade!! (pushes him out of the way and is thrown by the blast)
(black out)
(Kaden is seated in a wheelchair with a table and phone nearby,; Tobie enters)
KADEN: (feeling Tobie’s hand on his shoulder) George?
TOBIE: Hey Lenny, how are you feeling?
KADEN: My head hurts a little.
TOBIE: Yeah, it’s gonna hurt for a while.
KADEN: I can’t move my legs.
TOBIE: I heard that. When you hit the ground you crushed your spine. I'm so sorry.
KADEN: How am I supposed to take care of my mom if she has to take care of me.
TOBIE: Everything is going to be alright. Your mom is a strong woman. I’m sure she’ll manage.
KADEN: I haven’t told her.
TOBIE: Well, you’re going to have to. (Wheels Kaden to table and phone which he dials)
(lights up on Jade as phone rings. She answers it.)
JADE: Hello?
KADEN: Hey mom.
JADE: Lenny?! (stands) Oh my God, are you okay? A nurse called and told me you were in the hospital.
KADEN: I’m okay, just hurt my back a little but ok.
JADE: Are you sure? You sound a little upset.
KADEN: Don’t worry. It’s...nothing major. (pause) Mom, I just have a question?
JADE: Yes, Lenny?
KADEN: I have a...friend - George. He was hurt really bad and now he’s in a wheelchair. He doesn’t have anyone at home who can take care of him. I’m just wondering...do you think he could...can he stay with us?
JADE: (pauses to think and sits back in the chair) I’m sorry, son, but the house - it’s so small, and all the stairs. Everything would have to be renovated. That would be so expensive and you know we don’t have the money for that. I’m really sorry Lenny - I just don’t think we could make it work.
KADEN: I understand. (pause) I won’t be home for a long time now, mom. I’ve signed up for another tour. I don’t want you to worry about me. I love you so very much.
JADE: What? No! I thought you were supposed to be coming home in 2 months.
KADEN: I know, but they really need me. I’m so sorry mom. I have to go. There's a huge line up behind me. I love you, mom.
JADE: Lenny, I love you so much, please be safe and come back to me - I need you here, too.
(Kaden looks at Tobie and shakes his head. Tobie puts his hand on Kaden’s shoulder who puts his head in his hands as lights fade.)
5 “Is That All You Got?” TYE HANSEN
(Starts with a Tye standing over Kes’s body. Dougal enters from UL and is shot. Kaden enters from DR and is shot. All others enter and surround Tye.)
TYE: STOP! (all others freeze in position) Is that all you got?
The way you plot with a gunshot
To let my body rot?
Caught in the stasis of war, where more gore is looked upon as a score
Rather than opening doors,
To peace and equality
Full of quality in that,
If we worked on our problems without wars to solve them
We’d advance rather than falling back
Killing for the feeling of surviving death yourself
But will be haunted for the actions you dealt
Felt, scary for me, varying means, carrying scenes of death (Jenna shoots Tye who kneels)
But I cannot tell, seen heaven and hell, and I’m starting to run out of breath
For my whole family, fell from this tragédie
Taking the lives like it’s theft
No sense of sanity, loss in humanity. (Doug shoots Tye who falls with face towards audience)
There truly is nothing left (Tye’s head turns away from audience and he dies)
(Others rise and slowly walk towards the audience as lights fade)
6 “Fragile Facade” LI KARPUK and “I’m Sorry” KEANNA SALE
LI: Every day since I’ve come home has been an act. I plaster on a smile and hide my mind beneath this fragile facade. For the scenes I have playing behind my eyes, for what is Ingrained in my mind - the horrors I have seen and experienced. It would be too much for any one person to hold, and yet I hold it.
KEANNA: I still see his face in my dreams. Nightmares rather. Those big brown eyes, basically pleading for mercy.
LI: I keep it and hold it and let it fester and grow. And still I try to keep it quiet. When I hear the toast pop up I’m sure it’s the start of the enemies fire or when the blender is turned on I know it’s their planes flying over head and that I am once again only seconds away from being ground into the dirt beneath my feet. Like they were. But then, suddenly I am back. I am in the kitchen and I am gripping my coffee cup too tight.
KEANNA: He was crouched behind a tree, his dark brown hair was buzzed nearly to his scalp. He seemed nervous, I don't think he wanted to be there. He still had a youthful innocence written all over his face, as if he hadn’t graduated high school yet. He was the only person I’d ever killed. Why did he have to be near the outpost I was scouting? He was so young. I was so young! He didn't deserve to die, not yet. I robbed him of his life. The greatest gift he would ever receive. I see his face everywhere I go.
LI: My children look at me with such innocence and joy and ask me to come play. But, I can’t. I must keep it quiet. I can not return myself to that state of innocence, I have seen too much and have missed too much. I left them so others may have the joy and comfort they have and yet now I am the one in need of saving.
KEANNA: My friends don't invite me to go out anymore because whenever I leave the house I just shut down. Everything goes black and... I panic. The world is my battleground and everyone is against me. My house isn't even safe. I have to sleep with the lights on. The darkness reminds me of that day. Everything was so dark the day I... As he hit the ground I lunged to find out what his name was from his dog tags, but we were under fire and I couldn’t get to him in time.
LI: I fake smiles and fake normalcy. I must keep it quiet. They play along to my theatrics. I know that despite my best effort, they can still see and feel my anger, which is no longer easy to control. No, it runs unrestrained and wild, hurting and tearing into those I love. It is a wild cat and I am only the mouse it toys with. It’s pushing them. They are small birds stuck between its claws. They must also fake smiles. They also keep it quiet, they fear what I’ve become.
KEANNA: I’ve been trying to block out everything from my time in the military. But I just can’t forget the kid’s face. I’m so sorry for what I did, I never really wanted to hurt anyone. He deserves to be the one sitting here, not me. I’m sorry, I'm sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’M SORRY!
LI: The war broke not only our country but my family. And me.
7 “Holocaust Timeline” DOUGAL SPEED
(Projections throughout depicting what is being described)
IDENTIFICATION (SOFIA, JAIDA, ETHAN, MAX)
E: Hitler’s Nürnberg Laws made Jewish people subjects of the state, and forbade interracial
marriage between Jews and non-Jews.
S: The next form of identification was through a census system which all Jewish people
Were required to complete.
J: The census made it possible to identify Jewish people including where Jewish
populations were located, and how many were living in one area.
M: In addition, the census information allowed the Nazis to know the exact location of each
Jewish family.
E: After being identified through census systems, the Jewish population was forced to carry
or wear a form of identification, and change their names to make identification easier.
(scene where three people - DOUG, KES, JEEVA - are singled out for identification - TYE, JACOB - and when they show their papers, the documents are torn up and they are given a paper with either SARA or ISRAEL written on it)
J: By the end of 1939, all Jews were required to wear identifying badges - the yellow Star of
David.
S: This was one of many psychological tactics aimed at isolating and dehumanizing the
Jews by directly marking them as being different and therefore inferior to everyone else.
M: Those who failed or refused to wear the badge risked severe punishment, including
death.
ISOLATION (KES, AMNA, DOUG, JEEVA)
K: Jews were subjected to discriminatory legislation that revoked their citizenship and
banished them from economic life.
D: Nazi soldiers stood in front of Jewish-owned shops and department stores and the offices
of professionals such as doctors and lawyers, preventing people from entering.
A: The Star of David was painted on doors and windows, and signs were posted saying
"Don't Buy from Jews."
K: Jewish government workers, including teachers in public schools and universities, were
fired.
J: Jews were evicted from their homes without reason and notice.
D: Ghettos were set up to segregate Jews from the rest of the population.
(scene where specific individuals - MAX, JENNA, TOBIE - in a group are illuminated by a beam of light and all others move away from them until only they are left in a small group on the stage in a beam of light)
A: These ghettos were designed to be temporary; some lasted only a few days or weeks,
others for several years.
J: The vast majority of ghetto inhabitants died from disease or starvation, were shot, or were
deported to killing centers.
DEPORTATION (JACOB, TYE, JENSEN, KEANNA)
T: The Jewish population was now largely concentrated in the ghettos, and deportations
from these ghettos to extermination camps began.
K: Jews received orders to present themselves at assembly points where each person was
issued with an “evacuation number“ - a number for the death transport.
JE: Before deportation, they had to hand over the keys to their homes, and received strict
orders to pay all outstanding bills for water, electricity and gas.
JA: Trucks and freight trains were used to transport the condemned populations to the death
camps, and they often had to pay the railway transportation costs themselves.
T: The deported Jews were allowed to take luggage with them with a maximum weight
of 50 kg.
(scene where luggage is taken away - ETHAN - from several people as they are forced onto a platform representing a cattle car and their luggage is added to a pile of suitcases - JADE, MAX)
K: Jewish prisoners were packed tightly into cattle trucks and locked inside for days as the
trains travelled to the camps.
JE: There were no seats, or windows, and only a bucket for human waste.
JA: Some of them died of starvation and cold, some of them suffocated, and some were
executed upon arrival at the extermination camps.
EXTERMINATION (NICK, DOUGAL, LI, ELLA)
N: Jews and others were methodically killed in specially constructed killing centres known
as death camps.
D: Many were killed within hours of arrival at the camp.
L: Husbands were separated from wives, and mothers were separated from their children.
E: Those who had the strength were put to work digging mass graves into which they would
fall after bursts of machine gun fire.
N: Others were taken on death marches that lasted for days in freezing conditions.
L: The gas chambers were created as an efficient means to kill large numbers of people
who had become too weak to work.
(3 tableaux: girls lined up for the showers, girls in a small area looking up as if at shower head, girls dead on the ground)
D: In the last months of war, the discovery of the horrors of the concentration camp system
brought the staggering scope of Nazi atrocities to the attention of the world.
E: Eleven million people died in the Holocaust. Six million of those victims were Jewish.
LIBERATION (JENNA, KADEN, TOBIE, JADE)
JE: When the Nazis realized the allies were approaching, they attempted to demolish the
camps to hide the evidence of mass murder.
T: Soldiers found thousands of emaciated prisoners alive when they entered the camps.
JA: They also found storehouses containing the personal belongings of the victims.
K: They discovered enormous piles of men's suits, and women's dresses, and
thousands of pounds of human hair.
JE: Liberating soldiers confronted unspeakable conditions in the Nazi camps, where piles of
Corpses lay unburied.
(soldiers - DOUG, DOUGAL - enter SR and walk upstage of pile of bodies, then cross L to help survivors who are showing the tattoos on their arms)
T: Many survivors suffered feelings of guilt for being alive when so many of their friends and
family had died.
JA: Many people who made it out of the camps died after liberation because their bodies had
sustained too much abuse to permit survival.
K: For the liberators, the horror of what they experienced - the sights, the sounds, and the
smells - never faded in their memories.
8 “The Journey from Germany to Canada” JENNA CARLSON-MITTON
JENNA: My grandfather seemed to have tried everything, so when my determined grandmother
left the house that day with cigarettes and packages of sausages and bacon he didn't have
much faith. They had been living just outside of Berlin for two years since being forced to leave
Poland. They still talk about those men bursting into their living room with machine guns as they
yelled at them in Russian. They were all huddled in the corner, and my grandmother was the
only one who spoke Russian, so she demanded to know what they wanted. They were told to
leave. They were forced out of their home. They moved in with the widow of a farmer who they
did work for in exchange for them to live with her. After living and working there for awhile they
started trying to come up with a plan to find a better home; however, they were told they could
not leave. The family had little hope for the future, but not my grandmother. The German dollar
was nearly worthless at that point in the war, so bribing the authorities with money wouldn’t
work, but my grandmother knew those men would have a hard time saying no to a strong willed
woman that had come bearing meat and cigarettes. She came home with a small piece of paper
with enormous power. The power to let them leave. With that paper they were given a train car
and that was enough, although they did need more cigarettes, sausages, and bacon to get that
train car moving. They would bribe the conductors to attach their train car and they would pull it
to the next town and they’d do it over again. Some nights they’d sleep in that train car waiting to
have another train come by that they could hook onto. It took awhile, but they were finally in
West Germany where they were put as refugees into a home that had sufficient space for the
family. My grandmother’s step sister had immigrated to Saskatchewan years before and she
became their representative which made it possible for them to come to Canada after a while.
Life had changed for the better. There were no men with machine guns in their living room, and
no fighter planes flying above their playgrounds. They were finally safe.
9 “The Stigma” NICK BOUNDS
V/O KADEN: Before the second world war began, Heinz spent his early life in Fuerth, a small
Town near Nuremberg where his family ran a textile business.
(Kes is talking with Sofia SL when Doug enters with a bolt of fabric which he hands to Sofia)
SOFIA: Thank you!
KES: Haben Sie einen guten Tag! (translation: “Have a good day!”)
(lights black out)
V/O KADEN: Heinz led a normal life as a young boy and went to a traditional German grammar
school.
(Jenna is standing with a book in front of a group of seated students, some of whom raise their hand on cue. Jenna gestures to Nick, who stands as the lights black out. Several exit.)
V/O KADEN: In his final years of school, Heinz was one of only three Jewish students who still remained.
(Lights back up on Jenna who stands in front of a smaller group with gaps where the others once sat. Lights black out)
V/O KADEN: One night, Heinz was woken by a phone call from his mother at 4 am. She told him (V/O Amna) "Father's gone away," which was code for "he's been arrested," and told Heinz "go for a walk immediately.”
(Nick is holding a phone receiver in a small pool of blue light)
V/O KADEN: Heinz spent the next 16 hours walking the streets, and saw the synagogues burning, smoke everywhere, and groups of Jews being rounded up and marched through the streets.
(Nick crosses from SR to SL looking upstage as lights flicker red/orange and images of persecuted people in groups and burning buildings and are projected. Lights black out.)
V/O KADEN: Eventually, Heinz’s brother, Frank, managed to get Heinz a trainee post in a clothing factory. He and Frank concentrated all their efforts on getting their family out of Nuremberg. They finally managed to get visas, and they arrived in England on August 27th, a mere four days before war broke out.
(Nick, Dougal, Kes, Jeeva, Jaida, Max, Madison enter with suitcases from DSL. Nick, Dougal, and Kes stop and look around while others move upstage and exit L)
V/O KADEN: But on the outbreak of war any Germans living in England immediately came under suspicion, no matter what their circumstances.
(Lights up on SL as Kes walks towards Li who is a shop owner, and Li turns her “open” sign to “closed” and glares at Kes, who steps back and walks away. Li reverses sign back to “open.” Lights crossfade to Nick and Dougal who have caught the attention of Jaida, Max, Madison, and Jeeva. Nick and Dougal walk towards the girls, but when they speak, the girls turn their backs and exit. Lights crossfade to C where Kes is joined by Dougal and Nick)
NICK: We didn’t do anything wrong.
DOUGALl: We were stigmatized for being from Germany.
KES: But what did we expect? Mercy in a pitiless world?
(Lights black out)
10 “Code Breakers” SOFIA SCHOLEFIELD
(Projection: Code breakers were forbidden from telling their families about their work with the Commonwealth Allies because they had signed the “Official Secrets Act” which pledged secrecy for 90 years.)
(Projection: Women code breakers at work)
(Dougal and Jaida enter through SL pros slot and Jaida stops and looks up to grandmother’s window. She waves)
JAIDA: Bye, Grandma! (she turns and walks to Dougal who is looking for his keys) What did Grandma Mia do in the war Dad? She never wants to talk about it when I ask her. She says she’s not allowed to tell me what she did.
DOUGAL: Well...she didn’t fight like the men did...she helped but she was far from the front lines. Your grandmother...typed out letters in the office, and would...run errands for the men.
JAIDA: What does that mean?
DOUGAL: Well, she would have to go out to grab them coffee so that they had enough energy to work through a long day.
JAIDA: That’s all she did! (looks back up at window) Why couldn’t she tell me that? Grandma Mia was just a secretary for the men? (looks out towards the audience) I always dreamed she was doing something more important. Anybody could’ve gotten coffee.
(lights crossfade to tables where women are listening through headphones and transcribing as we hear the sound of machines running. Ethan enters and puts a cup of coffee down for Li)
ETHAN: How are the bombe drums doing?
SOFIA: They haven’t stopped turning. It means it’s not broken, which is good, but it also means that the Nazi code is still gibberish to us.
LI: We’re so close I can feel it. Any day now, the bombes will stop turning and it’ll us that keep the Atlantic safe from all U-boats.
SOFIA: What will you do after. You know… the whole Official Secrets Act. No one will ever thank us or see us as heroes.
LI: I don’t need my country’s validation to feel proud. I would do anything to protect it. Not being able to tell my family on the other hand, will be hard.
(Bombe machine noise suddenly stops)
(Projection: On February first 1942, Hut 8 shortened the war by two years, and kept the Atlantic safe from U-boats. The Nazi enigma code was finally broken at Bletchley Park, England.)
11 “Only as a Nurse” JENSEN CUMMING
JENSEN: I remember my mom telling me how my grandma always had a wish to be able to fight for her country. Time after time, she was denied the opportunity. She never understood why they wouldn’t accept someone, whose life goal was to contribute to her country's army, just for being a female. People kept telling her, her hope was useless and to give up and to just stay home and care for her children. All this did was infuriate her. Made her more determined. She never gave up. Sure enough, she got a letter back saying they would accept her, but only as a nurse to help the injured soldiers. But that isn’t what she wanted, she wanted to fight. She declined the position and she waited in hopes to get another chance. It was almost 50 years later but a letter finally came. For me. I have been accepted into the army to fight for my country. My grandma is beyond proud. Women are finally being recognized for our will to fight.
12 “LGBTQ” LI KARPUK
(LGBTQ soldiers have some kind of an identifying costume piece)
V/O LI: In Canada, any able-bodied man or woman can serve in our military. In 1967 our government passed a law saying that the military could no longer discriminate for gender or sexual identity. Prior to then, and even today in some countries, soldiers who are LGBTQ+ are prevented from joining the military. Those who are determined to serve are forced to hide their identities and if they are discovered, they are a dishonourably discharged for any number of ridiculous and inaccurate excuses, such as...
“They possess a psychopathic personality paired with an abnormal sexuality.”
- USL we see MADISON sprawled on top of SOFIA, who then gently moves Madison and kneels beside her body.
- DOUGAL enters DR and yells “covering fire” while the others run from DR to UL. Once they are clear, Dougal falls as if hit.
- MAX enters DL and signals others to follow. She gives instructions and they move UR with Max bringing up the rear.
- We see JADE DL being given medals by JENSEN.
13 “Cree Code-talkers” AMNA QAZI
(Projection: During the first and second world wars, thousands of Aboriginal men and women voluntarily enlisted in Canada’s armed forces. They served in units with other Canadians, and in every theatre in which Canadian forces took part. Their notable contributions to the war effort became a source of inspiration and self-confidence to themselves, to their communities, and to Canadians in general.)
ROXANNE: Mom, why can’t I go outside? Why do you make me stay inside and learn Cree?
ELLA: It’s an important skill dear. You never know when it will help you.
ROXANNE: But mom, how could it help me! Nobody speaks Cree anymore.
ELLA: Let me tell you a story, maybe that will change your mind. Come, sit next to me. (girl moves to sit next to mother) Many years before you were born, a war broke out. During the war, messages were
intercepted and if they were written in codes, the codes were broken. But guess what? Canada had a secret weapon. One that no one else had.
ROXANNE: A secret weapon? What kind of a secret weapon?
ELLA: This weapon was unlike any other: it was language. You see, our aboriginal languages are unknown around the world. Brave aboriginal soldiers, known as code-talkers would deliver messages in Cree and other aboriginal languages. Our enemies couldn’t find out what the messages said no matter how hard they tried.
ROXANNE: I think I understand now. It’s sad that more people don’t still speak our language. Don’t they understand how important it was during the war?
ELLA: Sometimes, some facts get hidden under more...publicized ones. It’s our job to make sure that people don’t forget.
14 “Prince/Norwest/Wreath” MAX KOPYTKO, MADISON LONG, JEEVA GILL, JACOB LAING
(Projection: Thomas George Prince)
V/O JEEVA: Born in Manitoba in 1915, Thomas George Prince grew up to be one of Canada’s most decorated First Nations soldiers to have fought during both World War II and the Korean war. Prince volunteered to fight with the Canadian Military and although he easily met most of the requirements, he was rejected many times until he was finally accepted on June 3, 1940.
(two soldiers salute each other)
V/O MADISON: In 1942, he received special training as a paratrooper. Only one in ten people finished this difficult course - Thomas was that one, and became a member of the 1st Special Service Force, a group of the toughest men from both Canada and the United States. This force was so feared by the Nazis, it became known to them as the Devil’s Brigade.
(we see ten people - JAIDA, SOFIA, TYE*, KES**, DOUGAL***, JADE, JENSEN*, JENNA, ETHAN**, KADEN - in a line: five* step forward, three** take another step, then one*** steps forward and salutes)
V/O JEEVA: In honour of Thomas Prince’s courage and bravery, he was awarded a prestigious Military Medal by the King of England.
(we see a medal presentation after which Dougal bows to Kaden, and Kaden extends a handshake)
(Projection: Henry Norwest)
V/O AMNA: Henry Norwest was one of the most prominent Canadian snipers. In his nearly three years of service with the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion, the lance corporal achieved a documented success record of 115 fatal shots. While Norwest was an outstanding marksman, the thing that set him apart from others was his superb stealth tactics and his expertise in the use of camouflage.
(we see Nick perched atop a riser box with a rifle aimed at an unseen target below)
V/O JACOB: As a result of his exceptional abilities, his superiors frequently sent him on reconnaissance missions into "No Man's Land" or behind enemy lines. The former ranch-hand and rodeo performer also merited the Military Medal and bar, making him one of roughly 830 members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to be awarded this double honour.
(we see Nick being presented with a medal, ending in a salute)
(Projection: Canada’s National War Memorial)
(Dougal and Nick stand off to the side as Jaida places a wreath. Jadia steps back and stands at attention. Li and Sofia approach and place bouquet of poppies. They then turn and walk towards Dougal and Nick)
LI: Are you here to place a wreath?
DOUGAL: We are not allowed to.
V/O MAX: Despite their sacrifice and heroism, until 1995, Canada’s aboriginal soldiers and the families of their fallen were prohibited from laying wreaths at the National War Memorial. They were equal in combat, but not at home.
15 “Domino Effect” DOUG GUILD and AMNA QAZI
AMNA: One man is killed (Projection: Archduke Ferdinand) and 16 million died as a result. (Projection: WW1) One man with power was overcome with prejudice (Projection: Hitler) and 6 million Jews were put to death and a total of 60 million people died. (Projection: WW2) The morning consequences of war can last for generations.
DOUG: My great great grandfather fought in WW1 at Vimy Ridge. In all the photos I’ve seen of him from after the war, the thing that stood out were the scars on his face. It was nighttime. He was sitting on the edge of a trench, having a smoke, when the bright red embers of his cigarette caught the attention of an
enemy soldier and made him an easy target. The bullet went right through both of his cheeks. The medic who helped him said that if the bullet had been an inch higher, he would have been killed. An inch higher and he would have died. My father would never have been born. I would never have been born. An inch higher and my family wouldn’t exist today.
(Students stand in V formation appears on stage. One by one the people make a statement, then slowly fall to the ground, maintaining the V formation. Kaden steps forward with each statement.)
C1 AMNA As a marine biologist, I could have uncovered the mysteries of the oceans.
R2 ELLA I would have pioneered the field of child psychology.
L3 JACOB As an author, I would have published the world’s best-selling novel.
R4 NICK As an astronaut, I might have colonized Mars as a new home for the human race.
L5 ETHAN As a pharmacist, I would have helped to ease people’s pain and suffering.
R6 KES I might have watched my children live long and happy lives.
L7 JENNA I would have shared my outlook on the world through poetry.
R8 TOBIE I could have entertained the world with my music.
L9 SOFIA I would have helped build the world as an engineer.
R10 KEANNA I could have won a gold medal for my country.
L11 LI I would have taught thousands of children to read.
R12 JADE As a doctor, I might have been able to prevent the spread of disease and save lives.
L13 MAX I could have been the first female world leader.
R14 JEEVA As a research scientist, I might have cured cancer.
L15 MADISON I would have choreographed the world’s most beautiful ballet.
R16 KELLY I could have developed safe alternative sources of energy.
L17 JAIDA Broadway would have been my home.
R18 TYE I could have advanced structural safety as an architect.
L19 ROXANNE I would have shown the beauty of the world as a painter.
R20 JENSEN As a nurse I could have healed the wounded.
L21 DOUGAL I am one of millions of children who were never born.
KADEN V is for Victory. My goal has been achieved. All these people have never lived as a result of me: I am hatred.
16 “Vimy Ridge”
(Projection: Vimy Ridge Memorial)
(All stand, still in the V position)
SPOKEN IN SECTIONS: Today, as we observe Remembrance Day, we also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. Today, V is for Vimy.
(as McKenzie enters, the V formation reverses or becomes a straight line for the moment of silence)
17 “Last Post” observation of a minute of silence then “Rouse” performed by Mackenzie Sewell