It’s quickly becoming a tradition of remembrance in Trenton — and what a sight.
As of Friday, over 2,400 Canadian flags were placed on the front lawn of a local business. The Sydney Street front lawn of Mystical Distributing can certainly be described as colourful and patriotic.
Mark Phillips, the company’s owner, says the display helps those to remember.
“We’re in a military town, and it’s a total respect thing for the guys who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Phillips explained.
“It’s just our way of saying ‘thank you.'”
2019 marks the fourth straight year for the display. The 2,400 flags now in place compares to around 2,600 last year.
Phillips says the reason for the reduction is a new feature.
“What we’ve done this year is that we’ve put out crosses, and each cross represents a local lad that would have laid down his life for his country in World War I,” he said.
And while Phillips might be the face of the display, he says the annual undertaking is very much a team effort.
“It is a way of giving back, yeah. But it’s not just me,” he said. “All my staff chip in.
“Everybody picks a time slot and everybody from the company comes down here within a certain time slot and they just love putting the flags out.”
At this time of year, Phillips says the message is simple for some: “Lest We Forget”.
The display comes down Nov. 12.