93-year-old Peachland veteran leads charge for outdoor ceremony

A Peachland veteran may be leading the charge for the community’s only outdoor Remembrance Day ceremony for the last time this year.

After a snowstorm in 1995 forced the ceremony to be moved indoors, it remained inside the community centre for two decades as the only organized ceremony in town.

Last year WWII veteran Robert Maxwell decided to change that.

“I’ve been going to indoor ones… and something was missing and I said I’ve got to do something that we used to do that had a lot more meaning,” Maxwell said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I've been going to indoor ones… and something was missing and I said I've got to do something that we used to do that had a lot more meaning," Maxwell said.

He gathered his friends and fellow veterans and held an informal ceremony on the beachfront at the cenotaph.

“If we couldn’t put up with a little bit of adverse weather then somewhere we’ve lost some of the fortitudes our ancestors have had,” he said.

On Friday, dozens attended the second ceremony organized by Maxwell.

He says it’s not just about wanting to brave the wind and cold, it’s about giving people the option to do so.

“They have the freedom of choosing, we helped create that freedom,” Maxwell said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They have the freedom of choosing, we helped create that freedom," Maxwell said.

He led the parade which marked the beginning of the ceremony.

Wreaths were laid before the reciting of the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, there was a flypast of civilian aircraft, the singing of ‘Oh Canada’ and a moment of silence.

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Maxwell led the ceremony and even organizers of the indoor ceremony at the Peachland Community Centre commend his efforts.

“It’s fantastic,” President of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69, Jean Saul said.

“We came to having an indoor service in 1995 when a huge snow storm hit on November the 10th.”

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And while there’s no doubt Maxwell is dedicated to the cause, even he admits he may soon need to take a break.

“Next year I plan on watching it on TV from Ottawa and Vancouver,” Maxwell said.

His second year organizing this outdoor ceremony is likely to be his last but he’s hopeful the tradition will continue for many years to come.