No Stone Left Alone brings Medicine Hat students together to honour fallen soldiers

Organizers aimed to place a poppy on every soldier’s grave at Hillside Cemetery.

The ceremony concluded with the Last Post and a moment of silence.

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Sites and sounds from the No Stone Left Alone Remberance Day recognition event on Nov. 4, 2026.

Heather McCaig, a leadership instructor at Crescent Heights High School, said experiencing the ceremony in a cemetery gives students a more personal connection to the sacrifices made by members of the military.

“Kids actually get to see the number of soldiers that have laid down their lives for our freedom,” McCaig said.

“I really find that the kids, it means more to them when they’ve been there and seen that.”

She said former students have returned years later and remembered taking part in the ceremony, showing the lasting impact it can have.

“Standing there looking at someone who you know died on your behalf is very different than being brought down to an assembly where you’re watching TV,” McCaig said.

McCaig said having high school students participate alongside younger children also helps reinforce the importance of remembrance across generations. The presence of veterans adds to the experience.

This year marked the first time the YMCA of Southeast Alberta took over organizing the local event. Marketing communications manager Katelyn Richard said the organization wanted to ensure the tradition continued in the community.

“We just didn’t want to see it not continue in the community,” Richard said. “And we really wanted it to keep happening.”

Richard said the event also gives younger children, including those attending YMCA daycare programs, an opportunity to learn about Remembrance Day through direct participation.

“When you come out here, and you get to read everyone’s name and look at the years that they were serving, I think it has a really big impact,” Richard said.

“I think it’s important to come out here and really see.”

McCaig encouraged families to attend the city’s Remembrance Day ceremony at Veterans Park on Nov. 11.

She said it is important to recognize not only those who died in service, but also veterans and current members of the military.

“It’s super important that we realize the number of people we have in our military that Remembrance Day also affects,” McCaig said.

“We show that we care about these people and what they’re doing on behalf of all of us.”

by Jesse Gill

No Stone Left Alone brings Medicine Hat students together to honour fallen soldiers

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