Snowflakes drifted overhead as the Remembrance Day parade marched in Fredericton, N.B., on Saturday, but the cold and the wind didn’t stop a couple hundred people from gathering.
People of all generations lined the street, ready to pay their respects. Deanna Graves and her family were among them.
“We come out every year to remember the soldiers,” she said while standing with her daughters. “We think it’s important for our kids to do that as well.”
She’s passed that lesson on to Eleanor Miller.
“I think about the people who died in the war, and sometimes it makes me sad,” she said.
The local Beavers chapter marched along the parade, behind rows of RCMP and service members.
“People are here and they want to respect our military personnel and our fallen personnel,” said Don Swain, the president of the Fredericton Legion.
For local resident Doris Thomson, attending the ceremony is a tradition.
“I’ve been coming every year since I’ve lived in Fredericton, since 1958,” she said. “My father was in the army, in the Second World War, and he used to march.”
For others, the day is about remembering the impact of the Canadian army in other countries.
“We still remember the Korean War, so we know the Canadian army sacrificed for defending South Korea during the Korean War,” said Kun He Paik.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Fredericton Cenotaph. The stone bears the names of soldiers buried overseas.
Swain says it’s great to have the service at the cenotaph.
“It’s a provincial cenotaph, and it’s nice to have the support, you know, from the people,” he said.
Richard Beyea, who served the country for more than 30 years, showed his respect and offered some advice on how people can show their appreciation for veterans.
“There’s a lot that people have gone through – that’s in their mind that doesn’t come out,” he said. “But if you sit and talk to a veteran, it releases some of that tension from them.”
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