SUNDRE – As a result of waning numbers attending the annual Remembrance Day ceremony, members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #223 in Sundre have opted to bring the service back to their hall.
Just a couple of years prior to the pandemic, the decision had been made to relocate the annual gathering to River Valley School’s spacious gymnasium.
The local legion previously struggled to comfortably accommodate larger crowds with turnouts that tended to see plenty of people not only standing at the back of the hall but some even lining up along the main entrance hallway and just outside the front doors.
And while the first ceremony hosted at River Valley School in 2018 drew out a large crowd of several hundred that wasn’t remotely cramped, those initial numbers did not seem to recover following the disruptions during the pandemic. Even when services could once again be held, numerous seats remained vacant at ceremonies in the school’s gym.
So this year, the ceremony will for the first time in quite a while be back at the legion on Monday, Nov. 11.
“The main reason for the changeover was that we looked at the attendance last year,” said Rev. Todd MacDonald, the Sundre legion’s president.
“It was fairly light,” said MacDonald, adding that upon further reflection the legion’s members ultimately decided the ceremony could just as easily be hosted back at the hall.
“And then it brings it back to the legion again,” he said.
As to why the number of people that used to come out to pay their respects in recognition of those who have served and sacrificed has declined, is anyone’s guess.
“I really couldn’t speculate; it’s a tough one to figure out,” MacDonald said when asked what he might attribute the drop in numbers to.
“I would encourage people to remember what this is all about, but it just seems to be getting lost in the busyness of everything.”
Doors at the Legion will open at 10 a.m. with the traditional service expected to start at about 10:30 a.m. followed by the moment of silence at 11 a.m. The Sundre Community Choir will as always be offering their melodic vocal chords with some food and refreshments that will be available after the ceremony for anybody who might be inclined to stay and socialize for a while.
Members of the legion will also be participating on Thursday, Nov. 7 in ceremonies at River Valley and Sundre High schools as well as the Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living facility and the Sundre hospital.
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