The citizens of Canora came to pay their respects for people who made sacrifices big and small during military conflict at a special Remembrance Day service.
Close to 200 people attended the Canora Remembrance Day service on November 11 at the cenotaph adjacent to the town office. The service was led by Pastor Wilfred Michaels, the Canora Royal Canadian Legion’s chaplain.
The service began with the march on of the Colour Party, which was led by the Canora air cadet squadron. Following the singing of O Canada, a prayer was offered by Rev. Brett Watson. A recording of The Last Post preceded two minutes of silence.
During the service, Michaels addressed the public on Kirk Taylor, a soldier who died in Afghanistan in 2009, to show that soldiers are still continuing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of Canadians.
“They all gave up their lives so we wouldn’t have to,” Michaels said, adding that Jesus Christ is another person who died for the safety of humanity.
Following the message, wreaths were laid in front of the cenotaph. In order, the individuals who placed wreaths and the organizations the wreaths were on behalf of were: Ian White, the Queen and Governor General; Sgt. Greg Smith, the Government of Canada; Terry Dennis, the Government of Saskatchewan; Sheldon Derkatch, the Town of Canora; Lt. Darren Paul, the armed forces; Cst. John Van Brugge, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Mayor Gina Rakochy; Royal Canadian Legion. Various other wreaths were placed by Canora businesses, organizations, and individuals.
A final prayer was offered by Watson, who commended the soldiers who help people “reawaken and strengthen our fight for peace in big and small ways.”
Following the service was a march to St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church for further services. About 90 people attended the portion of the service led by Pastor Greg Bright.
“We start with gratitude,” Bright said when giving his message to the assembly. He spoke of how easy it is to find stories of men and women who served and how it is “important to honour and not to forget.”
Bright also spoke on efforts to find peace by stating that the issue with war is that it often causes people to put up walls, such as the Berlin Wall. Walls can both protect and divide, said Bright, who suggested that love breaks down walls and peace can be found past the barriers.
“Remove a wall instead of building one,” he requested of the people attending the service.
Lunch was served at the Legion Hall after the service with close to 100 people attending, said Pat Thompson.
