Although we are less than one week away from Remembrance Day, it’s important to draw attention to such a significant day.
Next Wednesday, Nov. 11th, Canadians all across the country will be taking time out of their busy day to recognize a moment of silence at 11:11 a.m. or attend a service in their community. Remembrance Day and the traditional two minutes of silence exist as a way for us to remember - to remember those Canadians who served in the First and Second World Wars.
It is also important to remember Canada’s wartime contributions over the past 70 years, including our roles in the Korean War, the Gulf War, various peace keeping missions and our recent involvement in Afghanistan.
In our reflection, we tend to focus on remembering those who lost their lives serving in these wars. These individuals deserve to be recognized for giving the ultimate sacrifice to their country, but we must also acknowledge those who survived those wars and are still walking among us.
Canada’s veterans are a living evidence of our country’s involvement in global conflicts. It was these heroes who formed the Royal Canadian Legion in 1926, a national organization that consists of veterans and their families with the simple goal - remember. In conjunction with the ladies’ auxiliary, the Legion has made it the responsibility of its members to preserve Canada’s wartime history.
For almost 90 years, veterans and members have kept the memory of Canada’s contributions to the war and the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice alive through their work and contributions to the community.
During the month of November, legion members work hard handing out poppies, visiting schools and participating in Remembrance Day services. Throughout the year, they also contribute to the community through various fundraisers, poster contests and projects, among their regular Legion events from Tuesday to Saturday. Locally, our Legion has held a candle light tribute, a colour guard march on Canada Day and also participated in the tulip planting ceremony at the Lest We Forget Memorial Park.
They are an active group of people and we cannot afford to forget what the Legion works so hard to keep us remembering.
The Royal Canadian Legion Lacombe Branch No. 79 will be holding their annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Lacombe Memorial Centre beginning at 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 11th, following the colour guard march. This year, as we reflect, let us not forget the importance of what these men and women do on a daily basis.