An early taste of winter did not stop Hamilton from remembering those who braved bad weather and so much more in fighting for Canadian values.
As the winds whipped the snow around the Cenotaph at Gore Park in Hamilton’s downtown, the sounds of The Last Post were heard echoing off nearby buildings.
And then a moment of silence as those gathered paid silent tribute to the men and women who paid for our freedom with their lives.
Captain Logan McKnight of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada says Remembrance Day took on new meaning for Hamilton five years ago, when Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was gunned down in an attack on our nation’s capital.
“What happened to Nathan was a shocking crime, and anytime a community faces trauma there is an opportunity to grow stronger, together and I think Hamilton did that on that day,” McKnight says.
He adds the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada stay in contact with Cpl. Cirillo’s family.
“In a world where connections matter, keeping in touch with that family and making sure they feel supported — especially on days like today — is important. It’s important they don’t feel cast aside or forgotten, because they are not forgotten.”
Four years ago, the City of Hamilton completed Veterans’ Place at Gore Park which includes a memorial wall.
Robert Fife of the City of Hamilton’s Veteran’s Committee says “it’s a place every resident should see and take a walk through the enclaves.”