Details from area Remembrance Day ceremonies

This Nov. 11, Legions around the area will hold services to observe Remembrance Day.

Tofield will host the largest event with a parade to the Community Hall beginning at 10:30 followed by a service at the hall beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The parade will leave the Legion and move along the road behind the Town Office and then turn to pass the Cenotaph to the north of the town offices.

“We generally put a veteran at the Cenotaph and when the soldiers of the 1st Service Battalion from Edmonton pass by the Cenotaph they salute the veteran and he salutes back,” stated Legion director Bonnie Ferguson. “That may not happen this year, because of the weather and we’re getting to have fewer and fewer veterans.”

After passing the Cenotaph, the parade will go to the Community Hall where there is a full service at 11 a.m.

“We usually arrive at the hall before 11 a.m. and that gives the wreath bearers a chance to get into place,” she added.

“And then we do the opening ceremony, the flag party comes in, we sing  O’Canada, have a moment of silence and then do revelry. After that the wreaths are laid down.”

Once the colours are marched off, those assembled then proceed to the local Branch of the Legion where there will be a lunch.

After lunch, some members will get on the bus that brought the Service Battalion and go to the main street Cenotaph where a wreath will be placed and then on to the local cemetery to do the same thing.

Ferguson said about 30 members of the Service Battalion are expected on Friday.

There will also be a piper present for the Remembrance Day events at the Legion.

In Ryley, the Cenotaph service will begin at 12 noon at the Cenotaph, with a service to follow in the Community Hall.

The Ryley service at the Cenotaph starts later, according to longtime Legion volunteer Annette Short, because the members of the Nootka Sea Cadets first go to the Cenotaph service at Holden, and later come to Ryley.

“There used to be a large number of kids in that cadet corps who lived in our area, but because they train at Holden, they attend that service prior to ours,” she said.

She added the numbers of the corps were dwindling following the Covid pandemic.

“Trying to have training via zoom meetings just didn’t work so well,” she added.

“Four members of the cadets will stand guard at the four corners of the Cenotaph,” she added. “The only way we could have them was to move our service to noon.”
Short added they have never moved the entire service inside because of cold weather.

“If it’s blustery and cold, we’ll put all the business wreaths out prior to the service and then we will only have to lay six or seven wreaths around the Cenotaph to speed that up.”

She said during the Covid era they put the wreaths out and had a very limited wreath laying ceremony.

She said this year dignitaries wishing to lay a wreath will be able to as long as the Legion knows they will be attending the service ahead of time.

“Otherwise all the wreaths will be put out earlier,” she said. “We will have about 25 to 30 businesses laying wreaths ahead of time.”

She said other than singing “God Save the King” there won’t be any other recognition of the change in the monarchy.

After the Cenotaph service guests will make their way to the community hall where another community service will take place.

Following the service people are welcome to attend the Legion Hall where a potluck dinner will be served.

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John Mather
Staff Reporter