Over a thousand stood in silence at the Cenotaph outside of City Hall at 11:00 this morning (Friday) to pay their respects to Canadian men and women who fought and still fight for our freedom.
Military members, RCMP, firefighters, cadets, Prince George Pipes and Drums, and political figures all took part in the ceremony, as citizens were backed up all the way to the steps of City Hall.
“In a world filled with violence and war, we gather together to celebrate the promise of peace,” one speaker said. “In a world filled with tyranny and oppression, we gather together to celebrate the promise of justice for all.”
“In a world filled with hunger and greed, we gather together to celebrate the promise of plenty for all.”
“Remembrance Day as a whole, foremost, is to remember the sacrifice of those gone before us for our country, for the commonwealth,” Mayor Simon Yu told My PG Now.
“Without their sacrifice, all our lives, the freedom we enjoy here, the future, it is not possible. By remembering them, we can look forward to the future with more confidence… it is a very moving ceremony and I am honoured to be a part of it.”
Looking around the city hall lawn today at the crowd of people coming to pay their respects, Yu said he felt good, but thinks two key groups were not well represented.
“I think the turnout could be a little bit bigger,” he said. “I would like to see more youth and immigrants to show up. We need to find a way to engage these two groups in particular… this is so important.”
Nearly 620,000 Canadians served in World War I, and over 66,000 Canadian soldiers died.
Over 1.1 million Canadians served in World War II, and over 44,000 Canadian soldiers died.
Lest we forget.
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