Many Canadians will pin poppies to their lapels to commemorate Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, a time to remember lives lost in times of conflict. In addition to the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in downtown Ottawa, Carleton will be hosting its own annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the flag poles on Library Ave.
This day of remembrance hits close to home, as Carleton’s own history is tied to Canada’s military. Carleton was originally founded as Carleton College in 1942, at the height of the Second World War, according to Carleton’s website.
Under the guidance of Henry Marshall Tory, the first president of Carleton College and the namesake of Tory Building, the school would later become Carleton University in 1952.
Randy Boswell, a journalism professor at Carleton University, said he researched Carleton’s origins when he helped organize celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the School of Journalism last fall.
Boswell said that despite coinciding with the end of the Second World War, Carleton is not just a “war-time baby.” But he said the war did provide further motivation for a new institution in Ottawa.
“The real impetus for creating Carleton College and for creating the Carleton School of Journalism was to accommodate the needs of people, who for one reason or another, their educations were disrupted by the war,” Boswell said.
He added the school was originally intended to train public servants in public administration, and satisfy growing demand from other non-Catholic religious denominations, among other reasons.
“For students who were Protestant, it was not considered a suitable move to go to the University of Ottawa, because it was seen as being a Catholic institution,” Boswell said.
Despite Carleton’s origins, Boswell said he believes the university remains neutral towards the military today.
“I don’t think Carleton has any particular posture towards the military one way or the other, any different than any other university,” Boswell said. “Carleton has a unique origin story that is bound up in the Second World War. That’s a simple fact of history.”
The Ceremonial Guard
While it has been nearly 75 years since the end of the Second World War, Carleton continues to nurture its war-time roots today. 2016 marked the 22nd year that the Ceremonial Guard, an Ottawa-based Canadian Armed Forces unit, spent their summer living in Carleton’s residences.
David Sterritt, the former director of housing and residence life services, said he was the man behind the move to bring them to campus over two decades ago.
In 1995, the federal government closed Canadian Forces Base Uplands, where the Guard resided in the summer months. Sterritt said he saw a business opportunity and took it.
“The residences at the university and the dining services at the university are not used to as great an extent over the summer month . . . so why not try to sell the people in National Defence on the idea of having the Ceremonial Guard on campus?” he said.
He said the Guard had never lived outside of a military base before, but Sterritt said he believes the transition to Carleton was a success.
“Based on our part, we did as much as we could that the accommodation we provided for them was suitable to their needs and I think for the most part, we established a fairly effective working relationship with them,” Sterritt said.
Reflecting on Carleton’s founding history, Sterritt said it was an “appropriate coincidence” that Carleton has been able to develop a working relationship with Canada’s military today.
“I think it’s gratifying to be able to say that we’ve been able to maintain a relationship with the Canadian military over the last 22 years,” Sterritt said.
The Enriched Support Program
When the Ceremonial Guard leaves Carleton each summer, members of the Canadian Armed Forces return to the university as students each fall. The Enriched Support Program (ESP) and its twin program, the Aboriginal Enriched Support Program (AESP), are where these students often go.
According to Susan Burhoe, the program coordinator of the ESP, both the ESP and AESP offer high-school, college, or mature students with grades too low to meet Carleton’s admission averages a chance to prove themselves.
Of the roughly 250 to 280 students per year who use the services, Burhoe said around five of them are members of the military, often reservists.
She said participants take three courses at Carleton while attending mandatory workshops and receive academic guidance. She said graduates are later offered admission to the university.
“We are more than just a transcript on a piece of paper and sometimes students need that opportunity to say, ‘here’s why those grades don’t reflect what I’m able to do and why I’d like an opportunity to come to university,’ ” Burhoe said.
Steven Jackson, a fourth-year chemistry student who successfully completed the ESP in engineering while he was a supply technician reservist in the military, said his commitment level is different than the average student.
“The stress is definitely higher working with the military, but that added on stress definitely makes it a lot more interesting and actually helps me regulate school a little bit better. It helps me take on any challenge university can throw at me,” Jackson said.
Nicholas Ritchie, 28, was once a full-time infantry soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. After graduating from Conestoga College, he is now completing the AESP with the hope of being admitted to Carleton’s criminology or law program.
“I came home to basically upgrade my education so I can go back into the military as an infantry officer or military police officer, where that requires a [Bachelor of Arts degree] so I can go and be a leader for soldiers,” Ritchie said.
On Nov. 11, Ritchie will be giving a speech and laying a wreath on behalf of Ojigkwanong, Carleton’s Aboriginal centre, at Carleton’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony.
