Hundreds of people gathered for Remembrance Day at the Royal Canadian Legion Kingsway Branch No. 175 in northeast Edmonton. It was one of several ceremonies honouring Canada’s war dead in Edmonton.
Becky Williams and Steve Best attended the ceremony.
“We just can’t forget, we have to pass that on and support our vets,” Williams said. “We don’t want to re-live that past, it’s important that we remember what they’ve given us.”
“My dad and his brother were both in WW2, so I come out to remember that,” said Best.
42 wreaths were laid at the legion’s cenotaph, one of the largest services in the city drawing about 300 people this year.
“It’s important we don’t forget why we have the freedoms we have,” said Ron Wills, legion treasurer.
The legion supports veterans in a number of ways including through the Poppy Campaign which collects much needed funds for local veterans.
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Dozens gathered at the city’s oldest cenotaph in Beverly for a memorial. The event started with a parade from the Maranatha Church.
In Flanders Field was read by an officer from the 395 Edmonton Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron.
One veteran attending the service told Global News he was happy to see the turnout and hopes to see more young people attend Remembrance Day services in the future.
“With the activities that are going on around the world, I think our youth need to understand the sacrifices that our country made to allow them to have the freedom that they have,” Brian Andrus said. “They have to understand that our soldiers did that for us – to be able to walk freely down the street – that’s thanks to them.”
An inter-faith ceremony took place at Light Horse Park named for the Southern Alberta Light Horse regiment which has squadrons in Medicine Hat and Edmonton. Dozens of people laid wreaths including Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley. Global’s Kevin O’Connell led the EPS Choir in singing the national anthem.
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