Students in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, are moving to the next round of the Royal Canadian Legion’s National Youth Remembrance Contests after winning local awards for their posters and writing. The top local entries were officially submitted to the District (Central Alberta) level for judging on January 31, 2026, marking a major step toward potential provincial and national recognition for their work on the theme of Remembrance.
The annual contests are run by The Royal Canadian Legion; locally, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 212 coordinated the branch-level competition, which includes poster, essay and poetry categories. Students from local schools — including H.J. Cody High School, Fox Run School and Mother Teresa School — participated by creating original pieces that honour the sacrifices of Canadian veterans.
Entries are divided into four grade-based categories: Primary (Grades 1–3), Junior (Grades 4–6), Intermediate (Grades 7–9) and Senior (Grades 10–12). Local volunteers and judges reviewed submissions at Branch 212 (4916 50th Avenue) through December 2025 and January 2026 before sending branch winners to District 4 to be compared with top entries from across Central Alberta.
According to the Alberta-NWT Command, winners at the District level will move on to be judged at the provincial (Alberta-NWT) level, with District and provincial judging scheduled for February–March 2026. The Royal Canadian Legion notes that national first-place Senior winners are eligible for a trip to Ottawa to represent youth at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony; national winners’ work has also been displayed at the Canadian War Museum.
The National Youth Remembrance Contests have been run by The Royal Canadian Legion for more than 50 years. Locally, Branch 212 provides cash prizes for branch-level winners (historically between $35 and $75 for top local placements) before the winning work is sent on to compete against students from other towns.
