East Ferris hold Remembrance Day ceremony ahead of Nov. 11
The bagpipes played, the wreaths were laid, heads were bowed, appreciation expressed in silence.
East Ferris’ Remembrance Day ceremony was held at the cenotaph Wednesday and it showed a sign of courtesy, respect and gratefulness.
"I served in Korea. It's a part of my life being in the service,” said Royal Canadian Navy veteran Bob Irving.
“I went over after the ceasefire in 1953-1955."
The ceremony was attended by students from Ferris Glen Public School and Ecole Saint-Thomas D'aquin. Two students participated in the ceremony reading ‘In Flanders Fields’ in French and English.
Leading up to Remembrance Day, they were studying the war and the sacrifices made. Also in attendance: legion members, delegates, the public, veterans and soldiers from Petawawa.
"We’ve been taught some of the wars that have happened and how many soldiers have died," said Grade 4 Student Mya Sears.
Sears’ classmate, Sabrina Yackobeck, said it’s important for students to learn the history and significance of Remembrance Day.
"It's very, very good for us to learn about it so we can teach our kids about it and the next generation,” she said.
Irving said his heart filled with joy seeing the children, poppies pinned to their coats, come out to the cenotaph and pay their respects.
"It's great to see the kids,” he said. “It brings me back to my years in school and we had Remembrance Day ceremonies.”
East Ferris Mayor Pauline Rochefort paid tribute to a close friend, Second World Ward veteran Graham Elliot, who died 10 days before his 98th birthday.
"He was one of the soldiers that had landed on Normandy Beach in 1944,” she said.
“But unfortunately he passed away."
East Ferris always holds its ceremony a few days before Nov. 11 because some legion members, delegates and veterans enjoy going to other ceremonies that day and the municipality doesn't want to conflict with their schedule.
"We must never forget that our freedom is not free and today is a very important day to reflect on that,” said Rochefort.
As all of Canada looks toward a somber day of reflection on Friday, the students said it best.
“Remember the soldiers who fought for our freedom,” said Grade 4 student Olivia Berter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.