Despite a chilly and overcast morning, hundreds of lakecity residents turned up for the 2018 Remembrance Day Service.
This Nov. 11 is a particularly significant day. It marks the 100 year anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, that ultimately brought an end to the fighting of World War One, known then as the Great War.
A globally scarring event, it went on to define politics, society and all the wars that followed for the past century. None were more impacted, perhaps, then Canada.
Almost 619,636 Canadians enlisted, of which around 400,000 went on to serve on the front, where close to 61,000 of them lost their lives with a further 172,000 wounded. The mental trauma the survivors often suffered would stay with them the rest of their lives.
Yet, it was a war that would ultimately shape Canada for the better. Many historians, to this day, point to the actions taken by all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, fighting side by side, at the Battle of the Vimy Ridge as the moment Canada truly came into her own as a nation.
Veterans of the First World War also went on, in Williams Lake and across Canada, to found the first organizations that would become the Royal Canadian Legion, that continues to support veterans of conflicts, old and new, to this day. While none of the veterans of the First World War are alive today to mark its centenary, their memory and presence are kept alive by the Legion.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139 were proud to officiate this year’s Remembrance Day Service in the Gibraltar Room and at the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the cenotaph, as they do every year. This year first Vice President Vivian MacNeil, a 45-year legionnaire, served as Master of Ceremonies for the Gibraltar Room Service.
“I was quite pleased with how the service went, it was standing room only. The only thing that’s a little bit sad is that the place where our veterans sit is getting smaller and smaller every year but it’s wonderful to see so many cadets and young people there,” McNeil said.
At the service veterans from conflicts old and new were present along with members of the Williams Lake RCMP in full dress, firefighters from the Williams Lake and 150 Mile House stations and the 3064 Royal Candian Army Cadet Corps. This was in addition to the hundreds of lakecity residents who took time out of their day to honour those who have and continue to serve.
“It’s amazing to me that they keep coming every year and bringing their little people and teaching them what Remembrance Day is all about,” McNeil said.
McNeil said the event went as planned overall, next to the unfortunate low-lying clouds that made the scheduled flyover impossible to see, though impossible to not hear. Otherwise, she’s happy to continue to do her part to ensure the sacrifices of those who fell in the war are not forgotten.
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Mayor Walt Cobb was present at both ceremonies and read, purportedly, one of the first poems ever written about Remembrance Day. At the Legion following the conclusion of the march, Cobb said he was happy and thankful to see so many people from Williams Lake come out to mark this special occasion.
“Today went really well, there was a great turnout both at the Gibraltar Room and at the cenotaph. It’s great to be able to celebrate those veterans that gave us the freedom that we have today,” Cobb said. “As you look at the disruption around the world I think it’s more important to remember just what this day is all about and we don’t want to repeat history.”
Read More: Canadians mark Remembrance Day, 100 years since the end of First World War
For veterans like Gordon Keener, a nine-year veteran of the Third Battalion of the Princess Patrica Canadian Light Infantry out of Victoria, who served as the colour guards sergeant at arms, this day is especially important. Keener did a tour in Cypress during his service and uses the day to remember and reflect on the comrades and friends who didn’t come home.
Dealing with the trauma of war was brought to the forefront for him during last year’s wildfires, where he discovered he had PTSD from his time in Cyprus.
“Back before you used to just bury it and get on with your life and that’s what I was doing I guess. The fire was kind of a trigger and brought everything back to the surface,” Keener said. “Nowadays, I’m glad the government is looking at it, for people with PTSD or occupational stress injuries, they’re addressing it because back in the day it was just, suck it up and get on with your job.”
Beyond a few hiccups and some running around, Keener felt the parade and the services went very well this year. This year his colour guard consisted of a mix of veterans, first responders and Cadets, something he feels they all considered an honour.
He said he felt the service was well attended overall, though he had expected slightly more to come out and mark the Armistice of the First World War.
“Remember their sacrifice,” Keener concluded. “It was for a better country or helping other countries as a peacekeeper standing between two armies saying: don’t shoot at each other.”
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
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