Hundreds of community members gathered at the Teulon Rockwood Centennial Centre on Nov. 11 to honour the past and present soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our country.
Community members gathered at the Teulon Rockwood Centennial Centre on Nov. 11 for the annual Remembrance Day service, where local youth read In Flanders Fields and wreaths were laid in honour of Canada’s fallen. The ceremony featured reflections from master of ceremonies Alan Campbell and Pastor Claire Speary, along with an honorary candle lighting and two minutes of silence before participants moved to the cenotaph for additional wreath laying
Alan Campbell was the master of ceremonies at the Teulon Remembrance Day service and spoke on behalf of guests, offering gratitude, support, and sympathy for the Canadian veterans.
“On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served for their country, and acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought so hard to achieve,” he said. “On November 11, especially –– but also throughout the year –– we, as Canadians, have the opportunity to remember the efforts of all of the special people that I talked about. In remembering, we pay homage to those who respond to their country’s needs.”
Pastor Claire Speary delivered the Call to Remember and opening prayer to those who attended. She expressed the impact wars had on Canadians.
“These wars touched the lives of Canadians of all ages. All cultures, all social backgrounds fathers and sons, mothers and daughters–– they were killed in action, they were wounded, and thousands who returned were forced to live the rest of their lives with the physical and mental scars of war,” she said.
Campbell continued to speak to the importance of Remembrance Day, before heading into the reading of, In Flanders Fields, by Jocelyn Chamaillard, Colbie Cook and Callia Cook, listening to the Last Post and the two minutes of silence.
“The two minutes of silence provides another significant way of remembering wartime while thinking of peace. Two minutes are scarcely enough time for thought and reflection. As we pause and bow our heads, we remember those brave men and women who courageously volunteered for the cause of freedom and peace. Just think about that person,” he said. “In the scope of our day-to-day lives, think about how quickly two minutes will pass without even knowing it. And think about what we’re thinking about here today. For those who lived through these wars, remembering means thinking of comrades. Evokes memories of men and women who never returned home. Those born after the wars might picture the youthful soldiers who eagerly joined up from high schools, businesses and farms across the country, only to meet death while fighting against the enemy. They may imagine the anguish of a man leaving a new wife, a young family, an elderly mother. The important thing for all of us to remember is that they fought to preserve a way of life, Canadian values and the freedom we enjoy today and often take for granted.”
Active and former service members and family and friends laid their wreaths at the front of the hall, paying tribute to the lives lost.
The ceremony concluded with an honorary candle lighting, Words of Remembrance, and the song, White Cliffs of Dover, by Vera Lynn.
“It’s important that the message that we will take away from today, continues to inform how we engage and how we talk with our fellow Canadians on the other 364 days of the year,” Campbell added.
Other Teulon Remembrance Day events included a pre-ceremony pancake breakfast fundraiser hosted by the Teulon & Area Lions Club, free dainties and drinks post-service, and wreath laying at the cenotaph.
