Mount Pleasant Cemetery illuminates gravestones of 400 veterans to mark Remembrance Day

The sprawling Mount Pleasant Cemetery in midtown Toronto is the burial site for at least 400 veterans of Canada's armed services. Their gravestones have been lit up to mark Remembrance Day and to celebrate their contributions to the nation. So we decided that this year for the first year is to place a small solar light, a Canadian flag, and at dusk that grave site lights up. You realize that not only are there 400 in this cemetery, but of course it represents millions of those veterans that lost their lives in war over time. The installation's on for a couple of weeks, and members of the public are encouraged to come out, pay their respects, and learn more about the people behind the names. Look at the graves, look at the ages of the people that actually paid the ultimate sacrifice in combat. 18-year-olds, 20-year-olds, 21-year-olds. It kind of puts it in perspective that oftentimes decisions made about going to war, in fact most times, decisions made about going to war are not made by those people. Unlike many other cemeteries, Mount Pleasant doesn't have a dedicated veterans section, which means passers-by should be able to spot the lit-up graves in every corner of the property. It also is a good representation, I think, of the fact that veterans came from the four corners of this city, this province, this region, this country, this commonwealth, to fight for the freedoms that we all enjoy today. It's a little bit haunting, but not in a scary way. It's kind of a sobering, inspiring way that I I find quite humbling. Those involved say Remembrance Day is just as important now as when it was first established over 100 years ago. Remembrance Day is changing, right? For many years it was about honouring the First World War and the Second World War. Those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice and didn't come back from Europe and those that did come back. And it's just as much about remembering the past as it is honouring those serving today. Think about the tragedy a few weeks ago in Wainwright. We lost four Canadian Forces members. Those should be in our thoughts as well. Organizers say they hope this tribute can extend beyond Toronto and serve as an example for other cemeteries across the country. Tyler Cheese, CBC News, Toronto.