Hundreds of Londoners gather to remember those who gave their lives in line of duty

Londoners packed Victoria Park to spend their Saturday morning remembering those who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Proceedings began at around 10:15 a.m. at the London Delta Armouries, where veterans, cadets, military and London police marched towards the Victoria Park cenotaph.

This was the first Remembrance Day ceremony with London’s restored cenotaph, as the 83-year-old monument needed an almost $500,000 upgrade as it was crumbling from the inside.

“Today, we are remembering the 100,017 women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice in all conflicts to protect our freedoms,” said retired major and London resident, Bruce Stock.

Zone Commander for the Royal Canadian Legion, Caspar Koevoets, spoke with 980 CFPL prior to the ceremony and said that this year marks a special victory in Canadian history.

“Vimy Ridge was the first battle where the Canadian army fought as one unit, and while they lost many lives, the Canadians got the job done,” he said.

Near the end of the ceremony, veterans and troops stopped to salute Ralph Mayville, a 92-year-old veteran.