Hundreds turned out in downtown Lethbridge on Thursday for a Remembrance Day ceremony at the city’s cenotaph.
It was one of two local events to honour Canada’s veterans and the men and women who continue to serve in the armed forces.
The other ceremony took place at the city’s Mountain View Cemetery.
The cenotaph service was organized by the local Legion.
“Many people think of a veteran as someone old with grey hair. They’re not. A veteran (can be) maybe 20 years old if they’ve already served their country,” said Michael Cormican, president of the Royal Canadian Legion General Stewart Branch No. 4.
A stretch of 4th Avenue South, east of Stafford Drive, was closed to traffic to allow for social distancing at the ceremony.
It’s the second straight year Remembrance Day activities have been scaled down in Lethbridge due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year’s ceremony saw a significantly larger turnout compared to the cenotaph ceremony in 2020.
“I hope everyone will try and meet at least one veteran today and say ‘thank you’ to them,” Cormican said.