Friday November 11, 2022 | LANGFORD, BC [Update November 11, 2022: Event report on Langford ceremony]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today is Remembrance Day. On November 11 each year the contribution of those who serve and have served is recognized in communities across Canada.
There will be Remembrance Day ceremonies in most communities on south Vancouver Island today.
- In Langford that will be at Veterans Memorial Park (Veterans Memorial Parkway at Goldstream Avenue), hosted by the Langford Legion Branch 91.
- In Sooke the gathering will be at the cenotaph alongside the Sooke Legion (on Eustace Road), hosted by the Sooke Legion Branch 54.
- In Esquimalt the ceremony starts at 10 am.
Local MP Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) will attend the Langford ceremony in person this year. Last year he attended in Duncan.
Local MP John Horgan (outgoing Premier of BC) will attend the Sooke ceremony in person this year. Last year he attended in Langford.
To find a ceremony near you visit the Royal Canadian Legion website.
Moment of silence:
One or two minutes of silence is observed at 11 am on November 11 each year, to stand in collective Remembrance of all who have fallen in the military service of their country.
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the ‘Great War’ (World War I) ended.
Many ceremonies start ahead of 11 am, so that everyone is in place.
Wearing a poppy:
People are encouraged to wear a red poppy pin in this first part of November, up to November 11.
Free transit:
BC Transit, BC Ferries and TransLink will be offering free fares for veterans on that day.
- For BC Transit, all scheduled routes and handyDART services in the Victoria Regional Transit System will be free for all riders in uniform, active, retired and cadets, as well as those with army, navy or air force association cards.
- BC Transit says it supports those bus drivers who choose to safely stop their bus at 11 am to observe the traditional minute of silence in memory of those who have their lives and service in times of war. BC Transit will be operating on a standard Sunday schedule in Victoria.
- BC Ferries is offering complimentary passenger fares for customers presenting official Canadian military identification or travelling in uniform. Free fares are not applicable on the Inside Passage, Haida Gwaii and Central Coast Connector routes.
Remembrance on the broader scale:
People are thankful this year for getting through the worst of the COVID pandemic, and hopeful that Canada will get through the pending recession without too many people falling between the cracks.
Adapting to the impacts of climate change on our homes, our safety and the economy is on the minds of many.
This is all part of remembering the sacrifice of those who gave us the opportunity to maintain a democracy and free society.
Leadership remarks:
Governor General Mary Simon in a statement issued today said: “On Remembrance Day — and every day — let us honour the great service and sacrifice made by our veterans.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement issued today said: “We come together to honour the brave women and men in uniform who uphold our values here at home and around the world. The values that unite us as Canadians — values of peace, freedom, and democracy.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a statement issued today said that soldiers and veterans past and present are honoured. “Members of the Canadian Armed Forces have always played an important role here at home and internationally.”
BC Premier John Horgan in a statement issued today said: “We come together for a moment of silence, filled by our personal reflections on the horror and pain of war.”
BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon in a statement on video said that 77 years after World War II that we “once again find ourselves witnessing the horror of war in Europe”, saying that “we must be unfailing in our responsibility to those who paid the ultimate price to secure and guarantee the rights and freedoms that we so often take for granted today in Canada”. He also noted the price paid by families “who will never have a loved one return from a war zone”.
