Teachable Moments

Ottawa - October 22, 2014

On Wednesday,October 22, Corporal Nathan Cirillo was shot to death by a lone gunman while he stood guard at the Cenotaph in the heart of downtown Ottawa.  The entire area was placed in lockdown for much of the day as the perimeter was swept by law enforcement officers.  Area schools were placed in Secure mode.

It was a teachable moment. 

EMS personel transport Cpl. Cirullo from theCenotaph  

Following the October 22 incident, there were many lessons which teachers conducted in elementary and secondary schools throughout the Nation's Capital.  In addition to reviewing the many safety protocols and measures in place in schools to keep students safe and secure, teachers used this terrible incident as an opportunity for students to learn about threats to public safety from radicalization and terrorism.  However, they also drew students attention to the remarkable way in which Canadians responded to the death of Corporal Cirillo.  Canadians reacted with sadness and an outpouring of sympathy for his family, but they also showed great resolve in refusing to be intimidated by those who threaten our peaceful, free and democratic society.  Canadians also displayed great pride and admiration for our men and women of the military who risk their lives in defence of our great country.

Flowers, flags, & poppies adorn the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier  

at the Cenotaph following the shooting of Corporal Nathan Cirillo

Students and teachers from St. Anthony School even went so far as to make time during a planned excursion to downtown Ottawa in late October to pay their respects to Corporal Cirillo by visiting the War Memorial.  An Ottawa Police Service officer was so struck by this gesture that he worked with others there to allow the students to gather beside the Grave of the Unknown Soldier to have their picture taken.

 On Friday, October 24, I was one of over a 100 Ottawa Catholic School Board employees who, in a spontaneous gesture of sympathy and resolve, spent lunch hour standing along West Hunt Club Road (outside our Catholic Education Centre) in order to watch the hearse bearing the remains of Corporal Cirillo make its way towards the Highway of Heroes and his final resting place in Hamilton, his home town.

The hearse bearing Cpl. Cirillo passes along West Hunt Club

Catholic Education Centre staff pay tribute to Cpl. Cirillo
 as his hearse passes by

Vimy Ridge Commemoration

Another teachable moment occurred several years ago when I was principal of Holy Trinity Catholic High School.

It started when a grade 10 student by the name of Lucas Wiseman came to see me about a multi-school trip overseas that was being arranged for April 2007.  The trip would be to France and Belgium as a part of the 90th anniversay of the successful Canadian assault on Vimy Ridge.

Each student was to select a Canadian soldier who was a casualty during this famous battle.  Lucas came to see me in my office because he recalled that, when I visited his history class, I had told the students that my great-grandfather Joe Dunlop had died at Vimy.  Lucas asked me if I would let him represent my grandfather.  I told Lucas I would be honoured and pleased.

My great-grandfather, Joe Dunlop

I shared some photos I had of Joe Dunlop and a copy of both his Attestation (enlistment) papers and Casualty Form. The latter indicated that Private Joe Dunlop died on April 13, 1917 from a gunshot wound received on April 9 - the first day of the assault on the ridge.

Casualty Report for Private Joe Dunlop

I had known from family history research I had previously conducted that Joe Dunlop was born of April 9, 1880, and the sad irony that he was fatally wounded on his birthday.  However, what Lucas revealed to me later was nothing short of remarkable - His birthday was also April 9!

The coincidences in this story were so striking that Global National did a feature on it on Remembrance Day 2006.

Global National Remembrance Day Feature - Nov. 11, 2006

Global National Remembrance Day 2006 feature

Going overseas to Vimy to be a part of the ceremony commemorating the 90th anniversary of the assault, and representing Private Joe Dunlop, was a teachable moment for Lucas - one he would share with his children and grandchildren, as he said in the Global National feature.  It was also a teachable moment for me.  It not only taught me about the enormous impact that real-world learning can have on students but as well reassured me that our young people will not "break faith" with those brave soldiers who died in the defense of Canada. 

Private Joe Dunlop & Lucas Wiseman - share the same birthdate - April 9th