Two new additions were added to Regina’s cenotaph among the tradition of Remembrance Day. Two new plaques were added to the monument honouring the Royal Canadian Navy and RCMP.
Lt.-Cmdr. Jim Balfour, the senior chaplain at Regina’s naval reserve base, said these monuments help fill in the blanks when honouring Canada’s servicemen and women.
“There were an awful lot of sailors that came from Saskatchewan. The naval reserve unit here in the city repatriated over 5,000 sailors that came back to the Prairies. So it’s nice to have that recognition,” Balfour said.
Since its construction, the cenotaph has seen a number of additions. In 2018, the cenotaph was rededicated to commemorate those who served in Afghanistan and the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century.
Both service divisions have deep routes in the Queen City. The HMCS Queen naval reserve base is found in Wascana Park and the RCMP Academy at Depot Division has been located in Regina since 1885.
Every year, at least hundreds of Reginans pay their respect at the cenotaph in Victoria Park. This year was no exception, even as the mercury plunged into negative temperatures.
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Balfour is heartened to see so many people bundling up to pay their respects at the permanent monument.
“The cenotaph itself is a very special place to be and a special place to stand. This was the City of Regina’s monument they built to those that went overseas,” Balfour said.
“To stand out here is to stand on the shoulders of greatness, I think. The veterans have built the place on which we stand, and it’s never too cold to stand out here for a couple of minutes and just take some time to remember.”
-With files from Allison Bamford.
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