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WATCH: Although many Remembrance Day services were smaller this year, or done virtually, people still took time to honour veterans. That warmed the hearts of two veterans who attended a small service at the Korean War vets memorial garden in Clayton Park. Alexa MacLean has more. – Nov 11, 2020
When Canadian military veteran, Barrie Taylor, woke up on Nov. 11, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
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Typically, the retired Royal Canadian Regiment major would attend a formal Remembrance Day ceremony but this year he found himself walking down a Halifax street toward a veteran’s garden, near his home.
When he arrived, he was pleasantly surprised.
“I thought I might be the only one here, or there might be one or two, people,” Taylor said.
Canadian military veterans salute during an impromptu Remembrance Day ceremony held in Halifax.
Alexa MacLean/Global Halifax
About a dozen people showed up and spread out around the Korean War Veterans Memorial Garden.
Their eyes silently saluted Taylor and another veteran, Wayne Tremblay, as they entered the field.
Taylor places his poppy at the base of the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Alexa MacLean/Global Halifax
One thing was for certain, despite being in the midst of a pandemic, the people who showed up felt compelled to be present at the war memorial for 11 a.m.
The respectful gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Tremblay.
“It’s always special and I come here for them. Come here for everyone else who’s suffering and not only those who died but the thousands who suffer quietly with injuries for the rest of their lives,” Tremblay said, a retried communications technician who served with the Royal Canadian Navy.
“We still have thousands in Canada suffering just from Afghanistan, either physical or mental,” he added.
Taylor joined Tremblay in a socially distanced salute when the clock struck 11, marking a sombre moment they both weren’t going to allow the pandemic to squander.
“I thought it was wonderful, I thought it was just wonderful and it was as meaningful as it can possibly be,” Taylor said.