SAULT STE. MARIE -- Public health fears in the midst of a pandemic didn't stop Sault Ste. Marie residents from paying tribute to all who've fought for their country, as Canadians coast to coast marked Remembrance Day on Wednesday.
Organizers were forced to shift the event from GFL Memorial Gardens to the courthouse cenotaph, in order to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. The event was also heavily scaled back, with only a select few representatives turning out from different regiments and groups.
"Is it a challenge, absolutely," said Lance Knox, a retired Lieutenant-Colonel and Afghanistan war veteran. "I would like the community to be able to visibly see us more than they can this year, but I know in my heart that they're still supporting us."
Knox, whose military career spanned more than four decades, retired from service in 2019. Despite COVID-19 being a factor, he said there's not much that would stop him from attending a Remembrance Day service.
"No matter what the weather is, no matter the circumstances, I'm always reminded that there's people who served that had it a lot worse than we do today," he said.
Knox is one of several younger veterans who attended Wednesday's ceremony in the Sault. He said it's important to carry on the tradition of not just honouring those who served in the distant past, but also those currently enlisted.
"The importance of feeling that you're doing something worthwhile and remembering those who served before you, it's a good way of honouring those folks," he said. "It makes those who wear the uniform today feel like they're doing it for a reason."
