Remembrance Day ceremonies at Spirit Square in Pitt Meadows drew one of its largest crowds in recent memory, with an estimated 1,500 people attending on Nov. 11.
“We gather here to pay tribute to those who ventured far from home, braving tumultuous lands, treacherous waters and perilous skies, only to never return,” said Lt. (N) Vanessa Stewart, who was the master of ceremonies for the day.
“In the two minutes of silence, we are offered a precious moment to reflect on the harsh realities of war, to ponder the fleeting instant it takes for a life to be lost.”
She spoke about how Canada has sent 2.3 million soldiers into war zones, from the First World War until the involvement in Afghanistan, and more than 117,000 lost their lives.
There were many in uniform, with cadets, RCMP officers, firefighters, Scouts, and of course Legion members and veterans in attendance. Wreaths were laid at the cenotaph, and at the end of the ceremony, many of those attending left their poppies on it.
“We often get asked why we remember. The answer is simple: We must remember. If we forget, the sacrifices of many men and women would be in vain,” said Stewart.
Veteran Sher Boudreau, who served in the U.S. Marines, recited In Flanders Fields, and the Act of Remembrance: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning. We shall remember them.”
Rev. Diane Halkett of Pitt Meadows United offered a prayer: “Holy one of love and light, we ask that you inspire us, deep at our core, to live as peacemakers, in our broken and fragmented world, and to live lives worthy of the sacrifices made by so many throughout the decades.”