A ceremony participant lays his poppy on a wreath after the end of the Redcliff Remembrance Day ceremony.--NEWS PHOTO ZOE MASON
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
Several hundred Redcliff residents filled Parkside Jr. High School and Redcliff Memorial Park on Tuesday to observe Remembrance Day, commemorating the lives lost and changed by military service across Canada.
The Redcliff ceremony consisted of a parade through town from the Legion to Parkside School, where the service featured commentary and prayer from Rev. David Carter, the Redcliff Legion Chaplin and musical performances by Ron Mason.
Mason’s performance included a stirring solo performance of “The Green Fields of France” and a rousing rendition of “Amazing Grace,” which the whole crowd joined in on.
Carter began his address by highlighting the importance of remembrance amid an increasingly troubled international environment.
“Later, as we’re over at the cenotaph, we will hear the bagpipe play the lament. When we hear the lament, who are we lamenting? We lament the honoured war dead, no matter how terrible their death was, because we are insulated. We are insulated, until we turn on our TV every moment of the day. We lament all those injuries and deaths, children who are displaced in all the continuing conflict in this world.”
Carter encouraged the ceremony’s participants to revisit the cenotaph or the cemetery alone to spend a quiet moment of contemplation in honour of Canada’s fallen soldiers.
“Out of love for those who have served, and those of you who continue to serve, who have served all around the world, your memories of how you have endured, been brave, had courage.”
“Let the whisper through the trees remind you of all the nuances of this wonderful country, and especially all the nuances of love for the veterans there, who were sacrificed under their love of Canada.”
Carter also emphasized the national character of the holiday.
“Many of you here come from all sorts of regions and backgrounds, ethnically, culturally, from across this great nation of Canada, which is a confederation. It is not individual provinces taking a run at each other. We are together as a family,” said Carter.
The service concluded with the reading of the Redcliff honour roll, which was composed of the names of 34 soldiers who died in the First World War and seven who died in the Second World War.
“When I read these facts and figures and the honour roll, we should think about the tremendous sacrifice that Canada as a country, and the Town of Redcliff in particular, made during a number of wars. We didn’t want these wars, but they answered the call,” said Al Carruthers.
More than 650,000 Canadians served in the First World War and 66,000 were killed. In the Second World War, more than 1.1 million Canadians served. A total 44,090 were killed. More than 500 Canadians lost their lives in the Korean War, and 130 Canadians were killed while participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world.
Following the service, the crowd filed out of the school and into the neighbouring Redcliff Memorial Park cenotaph, where the second half of the ceremony featured Parade Marshall Dennis Rathwell performing the bagpipe lament, Catherine Scott performing “The Last Post” on trumpet, and a procession of wreath-layers which included municipal officials, local law enforcement, businesses and the families of veterans.
After respects had been paid and poppies were laid, guests were invited to enjoy refreshments and company at the Redcliff Legion.
