“It is the solider, not the politician who has given us the right to vote.”
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 103 Athabasca president Lauradelle Poirier said that these words, written by Charles M. Providence, ring true to her while speaking to a crowd of just under 300 people gathered at the Multiplex Nov. 11 for Remembrance Day.
At 9:45 a.m., the opening parade kicked off the ceremony, and both the flag party and cenotaph guard were put into place. Before the cenotaph was covered with green wreaths, dignitaries spoke.
Poirier said as Canada 150 is marked this year, so is the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge as well as the Battle of Passchendaele.
“Both of these events call to mind the ultimate sacrifice made my many to ensure our rights and freedoms,” she said.
Poirier then read a poem by Charles M. Province, which lists freedoms soldiers fight for, such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom to protest, the right to a fair trial and the right to vote.
“I know these words ring so true to me, but I’m sure it is the same to others that are in the room,” she said.
Athabasca County Reeve Doris Splane said all it takes is watching the news to “remind us of how fragile life can be and how important the men and women of service are to our lives.”
“This is a day of remembrance for the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace,” she said.
Town of Athabasca Mayor Colleen Powell spoke about Vimy Ridge and quoted information from the Canadian War Museum, that the capture of Vimy was more than just an “important battlefield victory,” but the first time all four Canadian divisions attacked together.
“Brigadier General A.E. Ross declared after the war, ‘In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation,’” Powell said. “While we celebrate incredible events such as this and celebrate the bravery, we must remember the 7,000 casualties in that battle, 4,000 that were killed and remember soldiers in all of our wars that do what must be done.”
The 1 Combat Engineer Regiment were special guests at the ceremony, and the Athabasca Community Band provided a musical presentation.
For Gus Deisting, who served as private with the Edmonton Fusiliers in the Second World War, Remembrance Day is a time “to think and remember what happened back then, and could happen again.”
“I’m glad to see we had a good crowd here,” he said. “I’m glad to see the military is out and that we had a warm day instead of a cold day.”
In an interview, Poirier said attendance for the ceremony was down from other years, and usually the ceremony is standing room only. She added there were at least 100 empty seats, and a big factor in attendance includes when schools plan holidays around Remembrance Day.
Poirier said it is important to keep teaching about Remembrance Day, because a lot of children and even young adults “have no idea why we have freedom.”
“We have freedom of religion and the other freedoms because somebody fought for us, and we don’t have to fight,” she said. “It’s very important.”
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The 2017 Remembrance Day section was sponsored by: Gustafson’s Auto Clinic, Buttons Up, Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater MLA Colin Piquette, Athabasca Deerland, the Village of Boyle, Buy-Low Foods Boyle, Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs, Buy-Low Foods Athabasca, Kal Tire Athabasca, Mike’s Pizza, Canadian Tire, 49th Street Grill, the Athabasca Extendicare, and the Hair Clinic and Tanning Centre.
