INNISFAIL – The town’s young and old came by the hundreds to Innisfail's downtown cenotaph to honour heroes.
There was an overcast sky above, with a decidedly cold nip in the air but it did not matter.
Honouring the fallen, as well as current living heroes, was the priority for attending Innisfailians and their families and friends.
Local citizens have done so ever since 1919 when today’s Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 was known and part of the Great War Veterans Association of Canada.
But no matter what organization led the salute for veterans for the past 94 years, time has always seemingly stopped on Nov. 11 to pause and remember.
And it was again so for this year’s Remembrance Day.
Shortly before 11 a.m. the parade to the cenotaph began with a proud march, amidst the sound of haunting and yet stirring bagpipes, to the cenotaph by legion members and veterans, cadets, RCMP members in full red serge, firefighters and emergency responders, and members of several local organizations.
Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion padre Ralph Warnock led the ceremony; the cenotaph magnificently adorned with the poppy curtain created last year through the artistry of Karen Scarlett and volunteers, and attentive citizens standing attentively just east by the legion’s stunning memorial mural and south along Main Street.
Teens Hannah and Sarah Barr sang O Canada.
It was followed by Warnock’s reading of the Prayer of Dedication.
Legion comrade Ron King then recited John McCrae’s famous war poem In Flanders Fields.
Then came the haunting Last Post, the British and Commonwealth bugle call performed by Ken Kowalchuk.
At 11 a.m. came two minutes of silence, broken gently and appropriately by church bells.
Then came the Piper's Lament, a skirl of bagpipes from legion piper Micheal McLetchie, and followed by Kowalchuk’s reveille.
Legion president Les Nickel then served up the Roll of Honour; names of all the local heroes going back to the Great War, and up to this year’s Remembrance Day, including past legion manager Don Harrison, whose service to the town will also be honoured Nov. 13 with a Celebration of Life at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
The Roll of Honour was followed by Nickel’s recital of the Act of Remembrance, an excerpt from For the Fallen by English poet Laurence Binyon.
“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 will remember them.”
Scores in solemn attendance then repeated, “We will remember them.”
It was then time for the laying of the wreaths, with the Government of Canada leading and followed by the Town of Innisfail, other municipalities and organizations, and public remembrances.
The 35-minute ceremony ended with a rendition of God Save the King and the March Off the Colours.
The day’s attending living veterans retired to the legion with family members and friends.
They would reminisce, and salute once more to the brave and fallen.
