To better accommodate the large crowd that turns out for the annual Remembrance Day service, the Sundre Royal Canadian Legion Branch #223 decided to change venues.
For the first time in recent memory, Tim Kirby, the local legion’s Comrade Chaplain, said the annual ceremony will not be held at the legion but rather at River Valley School.
Plans to relocate to a larger location have been under consideration for a couple of years, said Kirby.
“A lot of people have told us that they come and it’s packed full, and they’ve just gone home,” he said, referring to past services at the legion that due to inadequate space have previously left some people standing outside.
Cordially assisting the legion to help make the larger space possible at the school is Ian Mulholland, vice-principal, said Kirby. He expressed gratitude for the educator’s positive attitude in the effort to ensure everyone who comes to pay their respects has room. Also facilitating this effort is the Sundre Fire Department, which has members who volunteered to move the cenotaph to the school from the legion, he said.
“People really want to come and remember,” he said.
Honouring the memory of those who served overseas and lost their lives or returned home physically or emotionally shell-shocked to a country that had changed substantially in their absence — which also created a psychological hurdle for veterans struggling to readjust — is important to observe and nobody should feel the need to leave a service from a lack of space, he said.
“The legion is doing this for the community. This is a community event,” he said.
“It’s us helping the community to remember the fallen, the wounded, the families that lost loved ones overseas. That’s why the legion is here — to help them remember.”
So being able to arrange a more accommodating venue to welcome as many members of the community as possible is the “best thing that ever happened,” he said.
Although there was once a time when Remembrance Day services in Sundre and other towns were partly observed outdoors at cenotaphs or memorial grounds, he said ceremonies have more commonly been held indoors because of the cold weather that’s typical in November.
“I believe there needs to be a comfort zone for remembering as well,” not only for aging veterans but also for children, he said.
This year’s service takes place Sunday, Nov. 11, and will start at about 10:45 a.m., he said, encouraging people to consider arriving as early as 10 a.m. to allow time to find a seat before the ceremony gets underway.
“We’re going to change the wreath laying this year so that we get it done quicker,” he said.
“We want to shorten the service up.”
The list of names of those who contributed to the poppy fund will be read aloud following the traditional placing of mandatory wreaths such as the Memorial Cross, also known as the Silver Cross, which represents the personal loss and sacrifice endured by mothers and widows.
“There’s 19 of them, and after that is the businesses,” he said.
While all of the wreath layers received an RCMP, cadet or legion escort in the past, only the mandatory wreaths are escorted this year. The idea was to streamline the service while also reducing some confusion that had stemmed from laying so many wreaths, he said.
“There’s no escorts for the business wreaths,” he said.
“Yet it’s still honouring and acknowledging those who contributed to the poppy fund.”
Proceeds raised through the local poppy fund drive remain in Sundre. People can support the poppy fund year-round, but the local legion recently kicked off its campaign and delivered wreaths as well as approximately 100 poppy trays to businesses, he said.
“Those funds are here to help veterans and their spouses, and in doing that, it helps the general public as well.”
Contributions have included donations to the hospital, the Aquaplex fitness centre, as well as EMS, he added.
“In helping the veterans, we’re helping our community,” he said, adding the poppy fund will also be supporting the effort to establish a local cadet corps.
“The Sundre (legion) branch is going to be sponsoring a cadet corps.”
Anyone unable to attend the official community Remembrance Day service will still have an opportunity to observe the ceremonies at either of the two schools as well as the Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living Centre and the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre, he said.
River Valley School’s ceremony will start at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 while the high school’s service will get underway by around 10:30 a.m. Then, on Thursday, Nov. 8, there will be a service at the hospital’s long-term care unit at about 10 a.m., with the seniors’ lodge hosting a ceremony at about 11 a.m., he said.
