Canada’s Heroes Honoured in Prince George
Sunday, November 11, 2012 @ 1:01 PM
Prince George, B.C. – “Remember them not just this one day but all year long.” The words of Bruce Gabriel, President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch #43, at today’s Remembrance Day ceremony in Prince George.
Gabriel addressed a standing room capacity crowd that filled the Civic Centre to honour Canada’s war dead and those who serve today. The ceremony was filled with some very poignant moments as Gabriel told those on hand it’s not the politician but the soldier who gives us the freedoms we have today. Not the reporter but the soldier who gives us freedom of the press. He cited many more examples of how Canadians enjoy the lives they have because of the freedoms won on the battlefield. And he implored the audience not to take those freedoms for granted, noting the great quality of life we have today compared to what those living in many other countries around the world have by comparison.
Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond expressed the great pride she has in being a Canadian, and referenced the
Canadian flags that lined the route from the Civic Centre all the way to the cenotaph at City Hall. The flags, she said, represented each Canadian soldier to lose his or her life in Afghanistan. And each stake holding each flag was carefully inscribed with the name of one of those soldiers.
Canadian flags that lined the route from the Civic Centre all the way to the cenotaph at City Hall. The flags, she said, represented each Canadian soldier to lose his or her life in Afghanistan. And each stake holding each flag was carefully inscribed with the name of one of those soldiers.
The ceremony at the Civic Centre was also made that much more poignant with the playing of “Amazing Grace” by the Pipe and Drums of Branch #43, and the recitation of “In Flanders Fields” by Corporal Battick. The event came to a close following the laying of a multitude of wreaths at the foot of a cenotaph set up inside the hall.
At that point the participants in the parade to the City Hall cenotaph assembled outside. They included members of Princes Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, the Rocky Mountain Rangers regiment, cadets, RCMP in red serge, Prince George Fire Rescue, B.C. Ambulance Service, The Elks and Royal Purple, Knights of Columbus, the Boy Scouts and Brownies, members of the Ness Lake Volunteer Fire Department, and several other groups.
In a biting chill with the temperature hovering around minus 10 they marched down 6th Avenue to City Hall, with the throng of citizens lining both sides of the street. With an honour guard manning the four points surrounding the cenotaph a bugler solemnly played “Last Post”, which was, at 11 O’clock, followed by two minutes silence. The Memorial Cross wreath was placed by the Fitzpatrick and McCully families(pictured to left) in honour of Corporal Darren Fitzpatrick and Corporal Matthew McCully. It was one of 13 wreaths laid at City Hall, along with one honouring Greg Matters of Prince George, a soldier of 15 years and a peacekeeper in Bosnia who died in a shooting involving police on Sept. 10th, 2012.
Upon completion of the ceremony outside the parade marched up 6th Avenue to Brunswick Street and then down 7th Avenue where, in front Legion Branch 43, Brigadier-general Paul Bury, Deputy Commander Land Forces Western Area gave the salute to the participating troops.
From there guests were invited to the Legion for the final marking of Remembrance Day in that facility, which has been sold. Branch #43 will be moving to new digs on 6th Avenue.
Comments
We sure had a great turn out today. Would be nice if they could arrange the sound system so it could be heard from the street side, as half the crowd was on that side.
Its a great day for Remembrance also a time to express shame on Harper and Mckay for their treatment of our vets for past and present. Its shamefull the stories that are beng told of all the hardship those that give so much must continue to suffer. I hear the crap undererview under advisement and so on. I watch Mckay and Harper give lip service to the issues our fighting men and woman have to deal with everyday and it makes me sick.I have a long history of family and friends that served and I cry at the treatment they recieve, its true i will never forget, never.
That’s not to excuse Shirly Bond or Pat Bell for not putting heat to Harpers and Mckays feet over their lack of attention our soldiers require.
There has to be axe-grinders in every thread apparently.
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