The 2026 Canada Remembers Times contains stories ranging from the First World War of 1914-1918 to the War in Afghanistan at the beginning of the 21st century. As a way to introduce readers to the wide variety of stories in the newspaper, the teacher could distribute the papers and ask participants to find one interesting fact on each page and record what war or peace support operation it is from, what happened and why it interested them. Once complete, the teacher could then debrief the class with each youth sharing what they learned, allowing the class to gain a good overview of the content from one another. Alternately, a similar activity could be done where youth find three interesting stories to share—one from the First World War or earlier, one from the Second World War, and one from the Korean War or a more-recent Canadian peace support effort.
Another activity is to do a 'newspaper quest' where students must find the answers to the questions below by exploring the pages of the Canada Remembers Times. Once the students have answered the questions, the teacher could then run through the answers as a group, using it as an opportunity to explore the existing student knowledge.
‘Newspaper Quest’ Questions and Answers
Research
Find the answers to these questions in the newspaper stories.
- Where was Corporal François “Franck” Dupéré born?
François Dupéré was born is Sept-Iles, Quebec. - What was the name of the largest Black Canadian military unit in history?
The No. 2 Construction Battalion. - How many years ago was The Royal Canadian Legion established?
The Royal Canadian Legion turns 100 in 2026. - How many Canadian Armed Forces members died in Afghanistan?
158 Canadian Armed Forces members. - How many women served in the Canadian military during the Second World War?
Over 50,000 Canadian women. - What is the name of the symbol of Indigenous military service pictured?
The Eagle Staff.
In what countries were these photos taken?
- France
- Canada
- Hong Kong
- Afghanistan