TORONTO – Hundreds of people honoured Canada’s veterans at Remembrance Day ceremonies across Ontario on Thursday, with many focusing on thanking veterans young and old.
Speakers at the Ontario legislature reminded attendees that although they should never forget the sacrifices made by veterans of previous wars, they should not overlook the young men and women currently serving their country.
"We will remember those whose heroism made a difference in countless lives around the world, whether in the fields and villages of Europe … the hills of Korea or today in the rough terrain of Afghanistan," said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Speakers at Queen’s Park said they’ve recently met young people who show they truly care about the sacrifices that Canadian soldiers have made.
Brig.-Gen. Fred Lewis talked about being in uniform in a grocery store, when a young man approached him and thanked him for the work of the Canadian military.
"That was the first time in 34 years of my service that something like that had ever occurred," he said, describing that he later felt embarrassed about what he called an awkward interaction between the two of them.
"What a typical Canadian reaction that both of us had been that way. Maybe we shouldn’t be so uncomfortable to say that generations of our soldiers have won our nationhood and contribute to our imminent standing on the world stage," he said.
As a gun salute blasted, retired Maj.-Gen. Richard Rohmer said Remembrance Day is not only about remembering those who died, but also those who returned to Canada.
"And keep in mind our young soldiers, who have been coming back to Canada in difficult, difficult circumstances," he said.
Many of the veterans in the crowd were happy to see several children, many on school trips, and others with family.
Mary Ferguson of Mississauga, Ont., brought her two young granddaughters, whose father Jody has served in Afghanistan twice.
He is now back in Canada, but his mother went to Queen’s Park because of the hardship her son and his family have faced.
"For him it’s like he’s still back over there in Afghanistan, remembering all that he was going through."
Ferguson said the demands of a military life were very hard on her son and his young family.
"I don’t think I truly understood until I watched my son go through it and my grandchildren, and to hear them crying at night for their daddy and why he’s not coming home," she said.
Her granddaughter Emily Ferguson, 10, said her favourite part of the ceremony was hearing the poem "In Flanders Field."
"Our dad was a veteran and it’s important to come to the ceremonies to remember the ones who were in the war," she said.
McGuinty said Canadian soldiers paid the price, risking their lives to build Canada’s reputation on the world stage as a peacekeeper that stands up for democracy.
He said future Ontario residents will continue to remember heroic Canadian soldiers through other ceremonies.
"We will never forget the sacrifice your generation made. We will see to it. We will make sure those stories continue to be told. We will gather here at this memorial every year, always, and we will remember," he said.
At the end of Thursday’s ceremony, dignitaries from several veterans’ organizations and foreign consulates laid wreaths at the Veteran’s Memorial.
Once the ceremony wrapped up, people removed the poppies they were wearing and pinned them onto the largest wreath, covering all the green to turn it a bright red.
The ceremony was one of many Remembrance Day events across the country, including one at the National War Memorial in Ottawa with Gov. Gen. David Johnston.
The date commemorates the end of First World War on Nov. 11, 1918, but serves to honour all veterans.
Hundreds also gathered at the cenotaph at Toronto’s Old City Hall a few blocks away from Queen’s Park.
Outgoing Mayor David Miller told the crowd that the victims of war should never be forgotten, even as people pray for peace.
The city’s subways, streetcars and buses also came to a halt at 11 a.m. to mark two minutes of silence.
A crowd of people, including a number of students, were at a service at the Royal Canadian Legion in Campbellford, Ont., which was temporarily closed earlier this month after a man in a Ku Klux Klan outfit and another in blackface won first prize at a Halloween costume contest.
The ceremony went smoothly with no negative comments. A long round of applause honoured veterans and legion members at the end of the service.
A private member’s bill recently introduced in the Ontario legislature seeks to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday in the province.
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