Remembrance Day, much like other large social gatherings, will be very different this year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of public events and Remembrance Day ceremonies will be no different.
For more than 25 years I have attended a ceremony on Nov. 11 in communities across this province. I’ve attended as a journalist/photographer and community citizen to mark the occasion by taking photos for the newspapers I worked for.
One of my favorite ceremonies was in Sechelt, where I worked for 12 years as editor of Coast Reporter. The streets were packed every Nov. 11. No matter the weather, rain and cold, or sunny and warm, the community came out in the hundreds to support the Legion, its veterans and the community organizations in a somber, yet poignant time of reflection.
My first year here at the Optimist in 2016, I attended the ceremony here at the cenotaph in Memorial Park and not surprisingly, I was blown away by the support from the community.
It was gratifying to see that young and old, came out to pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives in war-time service so we could all enjoy the freedoms that we often forget.
This year the public will not be allowed to come together to remember. The Ladner Legion will be holding a private ceremony and we here at the Optimist have been allowed to photograph and document the occasion, so I, like you, will have to remember in a more private fashion.
So at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 be sure to take some time to remember, reflect and pay your respects with a moment of silence and reflection. Even if we can’t be together to remember, it’s the least we can do to show our veterans that we care and thank them for their sacrifice.
