Remembrance Day Service Well Attended
Monday, November 11, 2013 @ 1:33 PM
Prince George, B.C. – The Remembrance Day service and ceremony in Prince George today, was one of the best attended in recent memory. There were about 2,000 people on hand at the City Hall grounds, as various groups and organizations placed a wreath at the Cenotaph.
The road from the Civic Centre, where services had been held earlier in the morning, was lined with flags which bear the names of each and every Canadian who died as a result of service in Afghanistan.
On the south west corner, at the feet of RCMP Constable Gary Peebles, was the flag bearing the name of Corporal Matthew McCully.
On the south east corner, at the feet of Corporal Wyatt Dauvin of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Rocky Mountain Rangers Corp, was the flag which bears the name of Corporal Darren Fitzpatrick.
It was Colleen Fitzpatrick ( photo at right) , mother of the late Corporal Darren Fitzpatrick who placed a wreath on behalf of all mothers who have lost a son or daughter either while in service, or as a result of their service in Canada’s Armed Forces.
The service ended with a parade down George Street and on to 6th Avenue. A fellowship gathering at the Connaught Youth Centre followed this morning’s events as the Legion has yet to complete it’s renovations at its new location on 6th Avenue.
Comments
Not sure whoâs idea it was for the Spruce Kings to march with the Veterans. It was very tacky most of them were talking and sloughing along and not even there for the service just for the wreaths. They stood outside the civic center foyer. There were veterans that were upset about this. Was this a PR stunt if so someone should be reprimanded? This should not very happen again.
Regarding the Spruce Kings, I agree!!!Out of place with no real purpose, a business in the middle of volunteers, hmm??
I think they marched ahead of police, fire, and ambulance personnel who were there. Those are people who serve the community all day, every day.
I was baffled by this. I sure hope they made a HUGE donation to veterans.
Spruce Kings?
Some of them will be the next to serve their country in the armed forces.
If they were not acting appropriately, then someone needs to train them to do so. They will not learn it on their own. Parents? Coaches?
gus: “Spruce Kings? Some of them will be the next to serve their country in the armed forces. “
If that’s the case, why not let all the local hockey teams march with the veterans? Yeah, I didn’t think it made much sense either.
Well ….. are you disputing that the young will be the soldiers of tomorrow?
Team sports may be a good place to recruit since discipline of a sort is what team play is all about, and certainly what the military is all about.
Or, perhaps, you prefer the military to be recruiting from street gangs.
If they (whoever “they” is) want to parade the teams at an event like that, or any event for that matter, they ought to be on their best behavior and coaches along with a few vets can give them a few lessons.
When I observe teams from out of town who come in on their buses and stay at the Coast, eat their breakfast there, I generally see well behaved young people dressed in suit type uniforms.
So, I was not there so do not know what happened that they did not fit in. But, rather than telling them they are not wanted, I think it is an opportunity to raise their awareness and teach them some protocol and manners appropriate to the affair.
There was just an article recently of how manners have gone down the drain.
BTW, I did not realize the parade is just for the veterans. In that case, as reporters have been commenting, we will soon have no more Remembrance Day parades.
Recruitment does not happen by itself. It takes a concerted effort unless there is a million plus dollar contract at the end for 1 out of a 10,000 or so youngsters who start off knocking a puck around.
Wow. Hope you didn’t hurt yourself making that stretch gus.
I think the Cenotaph should have some lighting, if only for Remembrance Day. Some that can’t make the ceremony and would like to drop off a poppy after hours could then be able to read the names or what not. As it is its in the dark with no lighting what so ever.
Maybe that can be part of a future project for the city next time they make some improvements, or maybe paying respects is only for those that are able to show up at 10:30am?
Actually, I did not, JB.
But it seems you just can’t help yourself coming back with those unceasing hard-pressed remarks of yours can you?
I agree with you, Eagleone.
We have to remember that such memorials are there to remind us what they stand for. Often the way memorials are treated during the evening hours can be the most dramatic and beautiful.
The difference that good lighting can make…. a war memorial from Australia.
http://www.iald.org/userfiles/image/IMAGES/RCPPhotos/2013_04APR/01%20Parkdale%20War%20Memorial.jpg
“But it seems you just can’t help yourself coming back with those unceasing hard-pressed remarks of yours can you?”
Sorry gus. I call them as I see them.
It is interesting reading some of these comments about the Spruce Kings being at the Remembrance Day Ceremonies.
Have we forgotten what this day is about?
Remembrance Day is to honor those, past and present, in the Canadian military and “Lest We Forget” the sacrifices made by those so we can enjoy our freedoms.
I was at the ceremonies and was pleasantly surprised that the Spruce Kings were there. As someone who has lost family members in wars, I applaud them for being there.
As far as just standing around in the foyer, the civic center was full, great to see by the way, but if this large group had sat down then they would have just displaced a large number of the general public who then would have been standing around in the foyer.
Correct me if I am wrong, but are the Spruce Kings not a community based, not for profit sports organization just like the majority of other groups in Prince George? There in only 1 “business” group in town, to the best of my knowledge.
As far as where they were placed in the parade, I was surprised to see them up front but it is not my place to question the organizers of the event and their placement of the participants.
If the players were talking and “sloughing” along or otherwise being disrespectful, then that should be addressed. It is we, as parents, or coaches, that need to teach our kids proper manors and respect. I will say that at the times when I saw the players from the Spruce Kings, I did not witness any of these antics and when I saw them at the cenotaph I can say they were well behaved, more so then where I was standing and the kids around me. Again parenting.
As gus pointed out it is my understanding also that any group can participate in these ceremonies and parade to show their respect and yes, please, lets get as many youth organization involved in this parade as possible. The more we educate and teach the younger generations what Remembrance Day is all about and the reasoning behind it, maybe, just maybe we may never see another war!
tall: “Have we forgotten what this day is about?
Remembrance Day is to honor those, past and present, in the Canadian military and “Lest We Forget” the sacrifices made by those so we can enjoy our freedoms.”
Exactly, new poster. What that has to do with the Spruce Kings is beyond me, other than if you buy into gus’s argument that the Spruce Kings are ‘tomorrow’s soldiers’ and deserve to be there on that merit.
So what your saying JohnnyBelt, is that the younger generations should not be paying their respects to those for what Remembrance Day is about?
Nothing about recruitment in my comments.
I believe it is all about respecting those for what the day is about.
As I stated, I do believe any group that wishes to participate and show their respect can. So here is a task for you, you have 1 year to complete it. Get a group of people together, young, old, whomever and I am sure they will let you march in the parade next year providing you show the respect that this day deserves.
tall: “So what your saying JohnnyBelt, is that the younger generations should not be paying their respects to those for what Remembrance Day is about? “
Let me answer that by turning your question back at you:
Are you saying it’s impossible to teach young people and have them show respect of Remembrance Day unless they’re participating in the Veteran’s march?
See what I did there?
Jb your on the money Appears Gus does not understand what Remembrance is about. I quit joining the parade a few years back because the veterans section was loaded with club members and some Legion Club member in charge of the veterans section called us to attention with the command âLegionnairesâ.
Remembrance day is for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and not about looking for future recruits for our armed forces. But then I feel Gus may be somewhat biased
Okay, I get it now. Unless you were a part of the action, you can, of course, not remember …..
So, as some people have been saying, we will soon no longer have any parades nor ceremonies on Remembrance Day.
In other words, we have to keep going to war. War is what makes Remembrance Day sustainable.
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There is something called collective memory. The memory of things from bygone years passed on from generation to generation, whether by word of mouths, song, books, movies, etc.
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It seems that schools teach children what Remembrance Day is. Why? Maybe they till have pictures of Uncle Jim from Korea hanging on the wall in a special place in the living room before he fell.
Yes Gus that is a very good example of a memorial. I was thinking something more modest like a few simple lights in the ground that shine a light on the monument.
I like what Trail BC did. I was traveling through late one night showing my wife places around town where relatives lived and came across their memorial to war vets. Total class act for a town a fifth the size of PG. Its a city lot sized park in the downtown with memorials and informational plaques and a peaceful fountain… and best of all its like a beacon in the night fully lit up and a great spot to rest and learn about the local veterans at any time of the day or night. I thought it showed great respect for their veterans… unlike the PG cenotaph sitting in complete darkness.
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