‘We will remember them’ was the motto at Sunday morning's somber Remembrance Day ceremony in Oro-Medonte.
“Today is all about remembering our fallen comrades, my brothers and sisters who never made it home,” said Fern Taillefer, first vice-president of Branch 147 of Barrie's Royal Canadian Legion who is also their poppy chairman.
The ceremony started right at 11 a.m., the exact time the guns of the First World War ceased firing back on the 11th of November, 1918.
About 200 people attended Sunday's event at the cenotaph on Line 7 N. to pay respects to the fallen. As the ceremony took place, their silence filled the air, except for the wind blowing. There was a sea of red poppies on coats and more than a dozen wreaths waited to be laid in remembrance.
Some tears fell as the names of community members who never made it home were read aloud.
The Last Post played, and a minute of silence was observed.
Bagpiper Luke Cuppage played the bagpipes after Ric and Ian Ross sang a touching tribute song called ‘In Memoriam’, a song dedicated to all the fallen who never made it back home.
As the ceremony ended, wreaths were laid on the cenotaph on behalf of Canada, the province, by Legion members, members of the public, Oro-Medonte Township Council, and others who wanted to pay their respects.
“I think today's a day of remembrance and a day of reflection of what the world went through during the world wars ... and especially a day to remember what we’re all going through in the current days,” said Harry Hughes, Mayor of Oro-Medonte.
He added, “It’s days like today that we have to pass the torch on to younger folk who will keep the remembrance going for years and decades to come for all those who never made it back home.”
That echoed the words spoken during the ceremony: "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun in the morning. We will remember them."
In addition to today’s ceremony, there will be many ceremonies around the region in the days to come. There is a service at Rama First Nation on Tuesday and the Orillia Legion will host a service at the cenotaph outside of Orillia's Soldiers' Memorial Hospital on Friday, Nov. 11 starting just before 11 a.m.
Lest we forget.
