If Athabasca Legion president Jackie Jonk had her way, every day would be Remembrance Day. “These people should not ever be forgotten, ” she explained.
If Athabasca Legion president Jackie Jonk had her way, every day would be Remembrance Day.
“These people should not ever be forgotten, ” she explained. “And that's not just the people who have served and died for our freedom and our country, but the men and women who are unselfishly giving of themselves today in our armed forces. ”
Athabasca definitely pulls out all the stops the one day a year set aside to remember those who fought and died in wars and those who are fighting now. Last year, the region set a new record for the amount of poppies sold and around 600 people came out to the Nov. 11 event at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
This year's event starts tomorrow, Nov. 11, at 9:30 a.m. at the Multiplex when parade participants form up. Attendees are asked to be in their seats by 9:40 a.m., with the parade starting at 9:45 a.m. The ceremony, which includes speeches from dignitaries and the wreath laying ceremony, starts at 10 a.m. The playing of Last Post will be followed by two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. Lunch at the Legion follows.
“It has definitely grown in our community and we have received great support from the merchants and the people who live here, ” Jonk explained. “I think (people come out) because it's the right thing to do. It's the day that Canada has set aside to remember those who came before who gave their lives so we could have our freedom (and) we have to keep respecting them and to keep thanking them and keep remembering. ”
Planning for Nov. 11 begins quite a bit in advance, with numerous volunteers on hand to ensure that the day runs smoothly.
“We depend a lot on volunteers this time of year. There are so many things that go on behind the scenes, ” she said. “We have to take all the wreaths and put names on them. We have to collect money for them. We have to have money counters for the poppy boxes. We have to have the ladies downstairs prepare the lovely lunch they prepare every year. We have to have people set up the Multiplex -the chairs, the screens, the stages.
“It's not just a small team that does this. It's a very large group of volunteers and they're priceless. ”
The Village of Boyle's annual Remembrance Day ceremony is expected to be well-attended, as the members of the community prepare to pay their respects to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
The ceremony will take place at the Boyle Community Centre on Wednesday, Nov. 11, beginning at 9:45 a.m. and will start the way it always has, with a parade march into the community centre. Speeches from guest throughout the Boyle area will follow.
“Our service starts at 10:15 a.m. ” said Ann Fraser, secretary of the Boyle Royal Canadian Legion Branch 169. “We then have our two moments of silence at 11 a.m. ”
After the moment of silence, the wreath-laying will begin, where certain members of the community will place poppy wreaths at the foot of the indoor cenotaph.
After the ceremony has concluded, the Boyle Royal Canadian Legion will host its annual lunch.
“We get a pretty good turnout for Remembrance Day, more so now that it's inside, ” joked Roy Kozak president of the Boyle Royal Canadian Legion Branch 169.
Although they're happy with the usual turnout, Kozak and others members of the Legion want to remind the community how important this day is and why they should take the time to attend it.
“It's important to remember the sacrifices that our people from Canada made over the two (World) Wars and (those currently) peacekeeping, ” said Kozak.
“I don't have the figures with me, but the population from 1943 and the amount of people that went overseas its unbelievable. The people of Canada made a big sacrifice.
“My dad was a veteran we grew up with that (mentality). I'm still a strong believer in recognizing the sacrifices they made. But it wasn't just the people that went overseas, there were those that stayed behind, too, (that) had to make sacrifices. ”
Added Fraser: “It's very important to support our veterans. It's also good for the fellowship in the community. It's open to every religion, every race and every ability to just support each other. ”
