Whenever life feels crowded or too loud, I pull over and wander among the calm rows of stones, reading the names engraved in marble and stone. There’s a quiet stillness that grounds me. I read the dates, the messages, the lives captured in a one or two-line epitaph, and I feel connected to something larger, something lasting. My father’s grave is far away in Edmonton, and perhaps it’s that distance that cemeteries elsewhere feel like places of comfort. A way to honor my father and all those who came before us.
I was helping out at the 24-hour Cadet Vigil at the cenotaph in downtown Nanaimo when I noticed two Cadets heading out with their parents. I asked where they were going, and they said Captain Hills had asked them to meet at the ‘cemetery.’ Curious what they were doing and what it was about, I later checked in with Captain Hills, and that’s when I learned about the Nanaimo Fallen Project.
The Nanaimo Fallen Project
Captain Kevin Hills has been researching the 26 Commonwealth War Graves in our community. These are War Graves for fallen service personnel from the Commonwealth in both World Wars. Typically buried near where they died, these are the same distinctive headstones seen in France, Belgium, Italy. Indeed, they are found all over the world for the fallen who died in service in combat, from wounds incurred in battle, training accidents, and even natural causes. These headstones are to be cared for forever by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission – that was the promise made to the fallen, to their families, their comrades, and the Canadian people. These 26 fallen here in Nanaimo represent Canadian Army and Air Force servicemen from both World Wars, including a soldier who parachuted into D-Day, a bomber pilot, and a couple of Spitfire pilots. In the 1960s, a province-wide cemetery renovation plan led to all cemetery headstones being laid flat, including Nanaimo’s War Graves. For sixty years, these markers were forgotten and lay flat, water pooling in the engraved names, growing moss, covered in leaves, grass clippings, and goose droppings, and slowly sinking.
Over time, the City of Nanaimo took over authority for the Nanaimo Cemetery. Once Nanaimo City Council was made aware of these flat headstones, it unanimously agreed to amend the Cemetery Bylaw to allow them to be stood up again. Now that permission has been granted, the War Graves Commission is responsible for the continued upkeep and maintenance, hopefully including the reinstallation of the headstones in their original upright position.
Captain Hills has researched each of Nanaimo’s fallen and is honoured to share their stories. Captain Hills and many in our community remain deeply committed to honouring these soldiers and airmen and hope the markers will be restored upright soon.
Carrying their stories forward
Every year, the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation invites young people to visit the graves of Canada’s fallen and Canada’s Veterans, to learn about the veterans who served and are now buried across Canada. This year, during the annual Cadet vigil at the Nanaimo cenotaph, Captain Kevin Hills brought two Air Cadets to the local cemetery to take part in this act of remembrance.
As they walked among the graves, Captain Hills shared the stories of the service members buried there—RCAF aircrew, Vimy Ridge soldiers, young trainees, and others who died in service during the World Wars. Some had succumbed to battle wounds, others to training accidents or illness while still serving. As the Cadets listened, these men lived again through their stories. “Hearing the stories of real people who lie to rest here, I can actually put faces to the names. Some of them were not much older than me. It’s hard to believe these honourable men’s gravestones are left in this state,” Corporal Gurr reflected, gazing at the damaged headstone.
The Cadets also noticed the mix of Veteran and War Grave headstones mixed among the many standard graves in the Nanaimo Cemetery and expressed a desire to return in the future. The Cadets laid a Canadian flag and a poppy at each grave, presented at attention and saluted, and gave a moment’s silence and respect. Amanda Atkinson, a Cadet parent who witnessed the ceremony, remarked, “You die twice. First, when you stop breathing, and a second time when someone says your name for the last time. It is very sad that you can barely recognize their names on these stones.”
“The No Stone Left Alone Foundation’s mission is to ensure that every veteran’s headstone is honoured with a poppy placed by a young Canadian,” Captain Kevin Hills says. He hopes this first small gathering will grow into a lasting tradition and include Cadets, school groups, and youth across Nanaimo carrying brave men’s stories forward.
On November 10th, each War Grave in Nanaimo was recognized and honoured. That night, tired and cold, 205 Collishaw Air Cadets and 136 Amphion Sea Cadets stood vigil at the cenotaph, remembering all service personnel who count as Canada’s fallen.
So Young …
From a distance, I watched my daughter standing her turn on sentry duty. So young, yet carrying herself with such solemn respect. My mind returned to the names I had read and the lives captured in a line or two. I imagined the parents who never saw their children come home. Immense pain welled in my chest, and I could not stop crying.
The evening was so peaceful, it almost felt painful to breathe. So young… I thought back to the countless moments I had wandered quietly through cemeteries, whispering the names like a mantra. Until becoming a Cadet parent, I never fully understood why I was so drawn to those silent spaces. Now I do. Cemeteries are not just places of loss. They are places of connection, gratitude, and remembrance.
The Gift of Remembrance
On that day in November, I found myself wandering the cemetery again. The leaves shimmered in brilliant red and yellow, crunching beneath my feet. In that moment, everything folded together. The stillness of the cemetery. The crisp November light. Cadets placing poppies next to a headstone. My daughter standing guard at the cenotaph. The past and present became one.
And I realized. Even in the quietest corners of a cemetery, no stone, no story, no sacrifice should ever be left alone. Remembrance is not just a duty. It is the gift we offer both the past and the present, keeping their stories alive.
Author Olivia Joo
