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Remembrance Day in Vegreville
Remembrance Day in Vegreville
Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent
There were between 350-400 attendees at the annual Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 39 Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Vegreville Social Centre on Nov. 11.
Comrade President of RCL Branch No. 39 Terry Kuzyk stated, “Remembrance Day is a solemn event that encompasses many feelings and memories. It is a time to remember the conflicts of past wars that continue in our present day. It is a time to remember comrades who struggle side by side to protect the freedoms and way of life that we are experiencing today.
Some of you here were involved in the conflicts yourselves or have family members who answered the call to serve. Those conflicts were and are difficult to understand but brave men and women that answered the call are to be remembered and honoured for the sacrifices they made for their country and the world in general.”
Kuzyk went on to read a message on behalf of Prime Minister Trudeau. Then Deputy Reeve for County of Minburn Tara Kuzio, Town Councillor for Vegreville Tina Warawa represented MP for Lakeland Shannon Stubbs when she read Stubb’s message, Mayor of Vegreville Tim MacPhee all brought greetings that spoke of the importance of taking time to reflect and observe Remembrance Day while honouring the veterans.
Diane Lydom read a message on behalf of Honourable MLA for Fort Saskatchewan/Vegreville Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk who is also the Parliamentary Secretary for Settlement Services and Ukrainian Evacuees. “I am the proud and grateful granddaughter of a World War I Veteran and the daughter of a World War II reservist. My family knew firsthand of the sacrifices made by soldiers who went overseas, as well as, the families that were left behind. There have been too many horrific wars, conflicts, and battles since the beginning of time. So many brave men and women have entered those terrible fields of battle to defend not only our freedoms at home, but the freedoms of countless people who live in distant lands.”
Following this, Acting Legion Chaplain Rev. Laureta Blondin mentioned that as we pause to remember the fallen; those who lay in foreign battlefields far away from the villages and hamlets they once called home, we are also challenged to balance our pride and our ego when we approach these sacred moments of remembrance.
“I do realize that it is very easy to get caught up in the patriotism of the moment and wrap ourselves in the flag of God and King and Country. But then my friends we lose sight of the simple fact that Remembrance Day is not about the glory of battle but instead it is about the horror of battle and the quiet almost desperate prayer that echoes across time that we might truly finally learn from the mistakes of our past and not repeat them going into the future,” stated Rev. Blondin.
After this, Honourable Lieutenant Colonel Anne McLellan, said, “Since 1948, more than 125,000 Canadian peacekeepers have been deployed throughout the world from Cyprus to Rwanda and on enduring missions in Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Today, the CAF continues to support friends and allies around the world from our ongoing training and present missions in Europe to active patrols and Joint Task Force Pacific.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think it is fair to say when we look around the world today, Canada will be called upon to enhance our peacekeeping presence around the world and we need to be ready to heed that call when it comes. At the same time, here at home, soldiers, sailors, and aircrew from across Canada deploy their crew to help fellow citizens in their time of need brought on by storms, floods, and especially fires.”
