Premier Pat Binns has endorsed the efforts of the Royal Canadian Legion to promote a 2 Minute Wave of Silence on November 11th of this year, and urges Islanders to join in the observance.
"This is an important initiative to recognize the sacrifice and dedication of our Veterans, and to honour the traditional period of silence as it was originally initiated," stated the Premier "As we approach a new millennium, this is a fitting way for Islanders to honour those who gave their lives in defence of the freedom we have today."
The custom of observing two minutes of silence for a nation's war dead originated after World War I, but by the 1950s was reduced to one minute or less. The 2 Minute Wave of Silence is a millennium project of the Royal Canadian Legion to provide a significant reminder to all Canadians of the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in the wars, conflicts, and military peacekeeping missions of the 20th century.
The Legion project has been under development since 1977 and respects the fact that more than 1.7 million Canadians volunteered to fight in the major wars and thousands more have served their nation in pursuit of world peace.
The Premier says the objective is a universal observance. "This goes beyond official ceremonies and encourages all Islanders, regardless of where they are, to pause at 11:00 am on November 11th and observe this two minutes of silence."
The President of the Island Command of the Legion will join the Premier on Tuesday at 1:00 pm to sign the proclamation.