News from the Constituency Office of St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens
Posted November 9th, 2025 on Niagara At Large
St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens
QUEEN’S PARK — Shadow Solicitor General with responsibility for Veterans, Legions and Military Affairs, MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines) has introduced legislation to ensure Remembrance Day is honoured with the dignity and respect it deserves across Ontario classrooms and workplaces.
The Remembrance Day Observance Act, 2025 requires all schools to hold a dedicated in-person service for students on November 11. It also mandates curriculum development that teaches the history and modern significance of Canadian military service, including younger veterans and Indigenous veterans.
“We teach our children to remember because the act of reflection is how we honour bravery, sacrifice, and the hard-won freedoms we enjoy today,” Stevens said. “Students deserve more than a PA announcement… we have a responsibility to educate our children on the sacrifices of past Canadians, service members of the present and their role in shaping remembrance of the future.”
The legislation proposes that most workplaces pause operations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on November 11, allowing working Ontarians time to attend community ceremonies and cenotaphs. Schools remain open to support student learning and participation.
“Remembrance Day must never become just another workday,” Stevens said. “Pausing business activity helps preserve the dignity and unity this day requires.”
Co-sponsored by MPPs Chandra Pasma, Tom Rakocevic, and Jamie West, the bill has been warmly welcomed by veterans and educators, including Retired General Rick Hillier, the Conference of Defense Associations, and several education unions.
“This legislation protects remembrance as a shared, civic responsibility, passed from one generation to the next,” Stevens said.
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