Sergeants Sidney King (left) and Emmy Fuhr flank the many wreaths laid at the community’s Remembrance Day service on Nov. 11 at St. Paul’s United Church.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
Community members have gathered to remember the sacrifices of veterans past and present on a day 100 years after the end of the First World War.
The riderless horse once again led a group of Legion members and other marchers including members Air Cadets from the Legion Hall to St. Paul’s United Church on Nov. 11 for the annual Remembrance Day service. A large crowd was on hand to recognize the occasion.
Members of the Kindersley Composite School band led by Steve Mealey played O Canada to get the service started. The opening ceremonies included the usual playing of the Last Post, the pause of silent remembrance, words of remembrance and the playing of the Reveille. Young buglers Sydney Martin, Caitlyn Elliot and Tyler Heck performed the Last Post and the Reveille.
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Several dignitaries, representatives for various groups and private community members laid wreaths as part of the ceremony. Kindersley MLA Ken Francis, Mayor Rod Perkins of Kindersley and Reeve Glen Harrison of the RM of Kindersley were among the dignitaries that laid wreaths at the service.
Glenna Cryderman of the Salvation Army delivered the opening prayer before people sang a hymn in unison with the choir on hand for the service. Father Piotr Strzelecki from St. Paul’s presided over the service this year.
Carol Burke read the poem In Flander’s Fields before the choir sand the anthem by the same name. Burke, prior to reciting the poem, pointed out that she was on a Legion pilgrimage in Europe where she got to see her son recite the poem at the grave site of its author, Lieutenant-Colonel Dr. John McCrae of the Canadian military.
Patrick Brick, president of the Kindersley Legion, addressed the crowd gathered at the event. He said every Remembrance Day is an important occasion, but the 2018 edition was even more important because it was 100 years to the day since the signing of the armistice to end the First World War.
He said church bells rang on Nov. 11, 1918, as the joyful news spread of the end of the war. He noted that the Bells of Peace would ring in communities across Canada when bells ring 100 times at sundown to honour the important milestone.
Brick mentioned the Legion’s Poppy Fund and how each year it provides tangible benefits to communities across Canada. The money stays in the communities where it is collected and about $17 million went back to communities in 2017 thanks to the annual Poppy Drive.
“Honouring veterans is our duty,” Brick said, adding the Legion is a place for veterans to get help for a wide range of things including post-traumatic stress disorder and the help is for veterans of any conflicts from the Great War to Afghanistan.
Strzelecki gave an impassioned address as the speaker at the service. He spoke of the peace Canadians enjoy today thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of veterans past and present. He introduced a special video focused on the Battle of Passchendaele, a battle that took the lives of 500,000 soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
He noted that Passchendaele is know as one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War. The song in the video asked a question about what was the price of a mile, and Strzelecki said it makes perfect sense to ask such a question.
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