Thursday, November 8, 2018
VOLUME 1 I ISSUE 19
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
See pages 13-26 for our annual Remembrance Day section
Youth salute Lloyd’s war vets GEOFF LEE
WRITER
.................................. This year’s No Stone Left Alone ceremony at the Lloydminster Cemetery tugged at the heartstrings of youth who placed poppies on the headstones of local veterans. The ceremony, held Saturday, provides students and youth with an authentic experience that creates knowledge, understanding and appreciation of those who serve and of the sacrifice of Canada’s fallen. That was the case for young Liam Doyle with the 186 Air Cadets Lloydminster Squadron. He placed a poppy on the gravestone of his great grandfather Stanley Binns followed by a salute. “It means everything to be able to put a poppy on his grave,” he said with tears streaming down his cheeks. It was an emotional process repeated by other cadets, local Girl Guides, and students from École St. Thomas who are researching local veterans this week as a school Remem-
brance Day project. “I find it really respectful and really nice to do that; they served for us and they helped us,” said student Sebastian Romero. The ceremony included words from Border City MLAs Colleen Young and Dr. Richard Starke and city Coun. Stephanie Brown Munro, with a representative from the Neilburg Legion on hand. The No Stone Left Alone ceremony was the fourth annual one organized by site rep Amy Hrynchuk from Sherwood Park who has family ties in Lloydminster. She was motivated to pitch in after hearing about the first No Stone Left Alone ceremony in 2011 started by Edmonton’s Maureen G. Bianchini-Purvis, the daughter of a veteran. “It started out as a family thing and now I got local support,” said Hrynchuk. “I have no veterans in my family, but I do nothing but support them—for me it feels like I am giving back and doing my part.”
The event continues to spread with 101 cemeteries involved last year and many more expected this week prior to Nov. 11. “The event expands on current Remembrance Day ceremonies and makes sure it’s more interactive for the children,” said Hrynchuk “So they are going to be seeing the names and are able to put names to the veterans and the stories that they hear and keep the memory of all veterans in all the wars alive.” This year marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day that Hrynchuk says adds a little more meaning to Remembrance Day, but not any more importance than any other year. “Any Remembrance Day is important in my eyes,” she said. The event was a special one for the air cadets who participated in the ceremony with a bagpiper and flag party. All of the cadets were assigned by Capt. M.T. Owens to put poppies on the tombstones of
Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Lloydminster’s 186 Air Cadet Squadron member Liam Doyle salutes the grave site of his great grandfather Stanley Binns after laying a poppy in a No Stone Left Alone ceremony on Saturday. Stanley served as a pilot trainer in Canada.
veterans marked with pink flags. “We’ve had cadets with family buried here and we’ve had cadets who
have moved to the community and it really connects them,” said Owens. “It makes them feel emotional to be part
of this and it’s a great opportunity to participate and bring more feeling to them and less history.”