This Remembrance Day consider making your own modern-day sacrifice to listen to the stories of Legion members and veterans, who gave so much more than their time so that we can enjoy our current freedoms.
The Royal Canadian Legion Cochrane Branch #15 will be celebrating Remembrance Day at the cenotaph park and live streaming the ceremony to their Facebook page on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.
The public is not able to gather in large groups due to COVID-19, but there are still ways to make Remembrance Day special this year.
While it may seem like the opportunities to remember those that served are fewer or less meaningful because of the pandemic, that is not the case. If you need to be present and engage all your senses to remember, visit the cenotaph before or after the ceremony to avoid the crowd and take some time to reflect on the names memorialized in stone.
It is all too easy to look at a name and detach ones self without thinking about the life behind it, but Remembrance is a noun - an action word - and it is about more than appreciating our current state of living because others made sacrifices for us.
If the walls of the Legion could talk, they alone would tell stories of dedication, bravery and selflessness – with pictures of men and women from decades gone. Fortunately,
Legion members are often happy to share stories of their past, many of which have also been immortalized online and can be easily found and shared.
As Canadians, Legion president and District 5 Commander Karen Bruens reminds us that we have been fortunate to never have had war on home soil.
Cochranites can support their veterans anytime, not just on or during the lead-up to Remembrance Day. Consider visiting the Legion for a bite to eat and to chat with a veteran or try your hand at bingo.
Supporting the poppy campaign serves as double support, providing much needed support for veterans programs and as an outward symbol of your support for the sacrifice they made. This year consider purchasing the $10 100-year anniversary poppy from the local Legion. It is another way to start conversations about the history of this country’s veterans.
Whatever you decide to sacrifice this Remembrance Day, know that it pales in comparison to what many men and women had to give up.
