Saskatoon marks Remembrance Day 100 years after end of First World War

Remembrance Day ceremonies across Saskatoon remembered the sacrifices of all Canadians who served, including those lost in the First World War.

Sunday marked 100 years since the end of the Great War, which involved more than 42,000 young men from Saskatchewan, said retired Col. Malcolm Young.

“And unfortunately, 6,100 of those were casualties in the conflict,” Young said.

Among them, Young pointed out Maxwell Smith and Clarence Smith — the only two brothers in their family.

“For… Annie Smith, to lose both of her sons would’ve been very traumatic,” Young said.

The Redman family sent four Saskatchewan brothers overseas: 19-year-old Leslie and 22-year-old George were killed.

Another brother, Eric Redman, received gunshot wounds to the shoulder and head and was sent home due to the severity of his wounds.

Herbert Redman went to France at 16 years old and escaped unscathed.

“We have to have an unbreakable responsibility, an unbreakable bond of support to the families of our fallen and wounded and to our wounded,” Young said.

Wayne Goldsworthy, a zone commander with the Royal Canadian Legion, was among the thousands gathered at SaskTel Centre — Canada’s largest indoor Remembrance Day event.

On Nov. 11, he thinks of his great uncle who was killed in the First World War as a member of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

“It’s an honour for me to remember him,” Goldsworthy said.

“Everybody thought the war would be over at Christmas and everybody would be home, but unfortunately, it went on for a number of years and many, many people lost their lives.”

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A crowd of more than one hundred people met at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S)’s memorial gates Sunday.

The monument bears the names of 69 men with U of S ties who died during the Great War.

In total, 345 students, staff and faculty from the U of S participated in the conflict – equal to the number of people enrolled at the U of S in 1916, said Patrick Hayes, technician with the university’s archives.

Reginald Bateman, the university’s first professor of English joined days into the First World War, went to France and was fortunate enough to return to Canada.

He achieved the rank of major, but reverted to being a lieutenant to go back to France.

The annual Remembrance Day ceremony was also held in Montgomery Park, a neighbourhood founded by veterans following the Second World War and Korean War.

Members of the North Saskatchewan Regiment stood guard at the cenotaph in Saskatoon’s Civic Square outside city hall.