Edmontonians young and old came together Friday at several Remembrance Day ceremonies across the city to pay tribute to those who have served their country.
It was standing room only at the annual service at the Butterdome, where hundreds of people gathered to honour Canada’s fallen and those who continue to serve today.
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Several veterans of the Second World War and other conflicts were on hand as dozens of wreaths were laid.
Private Ray “Lewy” Lewis grew up in Athabasca and enlisted in the army on Oct. 22, 1942 when he was just 17. The now 91-year-old had trained as a driver and mechanic. When he was sent to Italy during the Second World War he had never even fired a rifle.
“I took a fella’s place when he got killed in the regiment,” Lewis explained. “And then I got wounded and another guy took my place and he got killed. Another guy took his place and he got killed. By that time, two months later, I was back to take my original job.”
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Lewis is just one of Canada’s many soldiers featured in the Memory Project, which connects veterans and Canadian forces personnel with the opportunity to share their stories in classrooms and community forums across the country. This year, the organization has seen 500 more requests for veteran visits than last year.
Elsewhere in Edmonton, services were held at city hall and the Beverly Cenotaph. It was a particularly special ceremony for those at the Beverly service as the cenotaph recently underwent restoration after 96 years of wear and tear.
The restoration was a 10-year effort of the Beverly Cenotaph Memorial Committee.
“It took us that long – 2006 to now – to have enough funds to get it done, and we’re proud of it,” Joe Luce, committee chairman, said.
Watch below: Gord Steinke speaks with two members of the medical unit about the role of 15 Field Ambulance in the community
READ MORE: Beverly Cenotaph restoration complete in time for Remembrance Day
Coun. Scott McKeen was at the ceremony at city hall and said it’s really important for all people to come together for the country.
“I think the most important underlying message for me today, and I hope for a lot of people, is that war is hell and tens of thousands of Canadians died preserving the peace,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s easy in modern life to forget that. So to have, as we saw today, to see parents bring their children to this very solemn and sombre ceremony… it allows them to have that conversation later with their kids about what it’s all about and about times of war.”
According to a recent Ipsos survey, four in 10 Canadians say they had family or friends who served in the Second World War.
Watch below: The many emotions of Remembrance Day as seen in the faces of Canadians