Mr. Elliott's 90th Birthday

For those who went to Newmarket High school in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, my Grandfather was a household name. Some people loved him, some hated him, but everyone who had him for English seems to remember him.

His 90th birthday is coming up, and to mark the occasion, we're trying to collect memories from his former students. Those who have contacted me recently to pass on their good wishes have truly touched him, and we know that a collection of thoughts, cards, and good wishes would be extremely valuable to him.

If you have an e-mail to send to him, you can send it to bill.elliott.birthday@gmail.com. If you would like to mail a card to him, contact us at the above e-mail address and we will give you a mailing address to send it to. And if you could, please spread the word to those you know who also remember him fondly.

Help us make this a truly remarkable birthday for a very special man.

Thank you,

The family of "Wild" Bill Elliott
posted by Sarah E. at 12:17 PM

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In Remembrance

Last night, The Toronto Choral society performed our annual Remembrance Day concert. It's not like our usual concerts. It's very solemn, using narrative, video, and music, and it highlights both the landmark moments of the war, and the more quiet griefs. Stories of a mother travelling to Italy to see the resting place of her son. Of an Allied soldier sharing his last canteen of rum with a dying German as the guns echo around the house in which they took shelter.

Perhaps the most poignant moment in the performance is the one in which, accompanied by the choir singing Sim Shalom, images from the Last Album are projected onto the screen behind us. Very few people can make it through that part of the performance without crying. Most of the choir members can't look anywhere near the screen at that time, and have to think very hard about mundane things in order to be able to make it through the song (it's pretty much impossible to sing when you're crying).

The images are of people. Children. Families. Treasured photos that those sent to Auschwitz couldn't bear to leave behind. And in some cases, the only remaining records that these people ever existed.

I myself exist because of WWII. In writing a biography of my grandfather for a writing class in high school, I learned that as a young man, he went overseas with the RCAF during the second World War. It was there that he met a young Scottish woman named Doris Jean Brown (Flicka to her friends), who drove a bomb truck for the allied forces. That woman was my grandmother.

I attended Remembrance Day assemblies every year in school, yet none of them ever affected me the way this concert does. The concert is a very poignant reminder that this day is not about glorifying war. It's about honouring those who sacrificed their lives, and ensuring that the events of war are understood and remembered, so we understand how important it is to work toward a world in which war is only a memory.
posted by Sarah E. at 1:55 PM

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