DCDSB Students Presented with Parliament Hill Peace Tower Flag Ahead of Historic Vimy Ridge Anniversary

On November 9, 2026, Member of Parliament for Oshawa Rhonda Kirkland, alongside Member of Parliament for York-Durham Jacob Mantle, joined students, educators and community representatives at Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School to present a Canadian flag flown atop Parliament Hill's Peace Tower. 

The Peace Tower flag, which flew at half-mast on April 9, 2026, will accompany Canadian students participating in the Return to the Western Front Tour, a national educational pilgrimage organized in partnership with WorldStrides. Students from the Durham Catholic District School Board will visit historic First World War battlefields in Belgium and France to honour Canadian soldiers and preserve their legacy. The journey holds particular significance as April 9, 2027, marks the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a defining moment in Canadian history.  

The ceremony brought together Member of Parliament for Oshawa Rhonda Kirkland, Member of Parliament for York-Durham Jacob Mantle, Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra, Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, Durham Catholic District School Board representatives and trustees, students from Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School and Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary School, and tour organizers. 

Students were presented with the Peace Tower flag and Canadian lapel pins to share throughout their journey, reinforcing the importance of remembrance, national pride and Canada's enduring relationships with its European allies.