‘We remember all of the fallen of Canada’

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This article was published 11/11/2023 (934 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Clad in dress uniforms or street clothes, hundreds of veterans, active service members and civilians gathered in Winnipeg’s downtown convention centre to solemnly mark Remembrance Day.

Saturday morning’s service, organized by the Joint Veterans’ Association, marked not only the signing of the armistice that ended the First World War on Nov. 11, 1918, but the 75th anniversary of Canadian and international peacekeeping, the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War’s armistice and the 80th anniversary of the Italian campaign during the Second World War.

The service, which began at 10:30 a.m., was also the first Remembrance Day event attended by NDP Premier Wab Kinew, since he was elected the province’s leader, and the second attended by Lt. Gov. Anita Neville since she was sworn in last October.

“We recognize all our veterans have given a part of themselves for our country,” master of ceremonies Capt. Mary-Anne Saciuk told the crowd, after the arrival of dignitaries and the Royal Canadian Air Force band performed O Canada.

“Some have given it all, laying down their lives to defend the freedoms we cherish deeply.”

The convention centre service was the largest of many held Saturday throughout the province to remember armed forces personnel who died in uniform and to honour active service members.

The national service was held at the War Memorial in Ottawa.

After a CAF bugler performed The Last Post, the crowd marked a minute of silence at 11 a.m. to denote 105 years since the end of the First World War, before youth cadets read the poem In Flanders Fields.

Service veterans then ceremonially passed a lit torch to active CAF service members, before Very Rev. Paul N. Johnson read scripture and addressed the crowd.

Johnson spoke of the sacrifices of Canadian armed forces, pointing to the service of Manitoban Sgt. Tommy Prince in the Second World War and later, in the Korean War, in which a total 516 Canadians died.

“We remember all of the fallen of Canada, in that war and all the other wars, small and large, all who have died,” Johnson said.

“All who have died for our amazing country… who gave everything for the very best that Canada can be.”

Johnson noted there are about 1,000 Canadian service members currently deployed around the world.

Johnson also spoke of the ongoing bloodshed in the Russia-Ukrainian war since last February and in the Israel-Hamas war since October.

He appealed to the crowd for understanding and for Canadians to learn to live together in celebration of each others’ differences.

“If we should fail in this, then we will have failed them also, all those still battalions of the dead,” Johnson said.

Following Johnson’s remarks, dignitaries laid wreathes at the base of a memorial cross, which was guarded by four uniformed vigil sentries, one each from the three CAF branches and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Neville laid the first wreath, followed by Memorial Cross representative Dean Smith, federal Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, Premier Kinew, Mayor Scott Gillingham, service members, veterans and police and fire paramedics, among other representatives.

Johnson then offered prayers and the RCAF band led the singing of hymn O Valiant Heart, before playing God Save the King.

Uniformed personnel then performed a march past, ending the service.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca