About 300 people gathered around what’s considered Nova Scotia’s oldest cenotaph this Remembrance Day to pay tribute to the men and women who served and died in the line of duty.
The ceremony was hosted by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 79.
“We like to call it the best little legion in New Ross,” said Ron Langevin, the branch’s services officer.
“New Ross was formed by the military, by Captain Ross. And we have a long history of military right from the Louis Riel uprising to the Boer War and so on. So New Ross has a very strong military presence and we take it very seriously.”
The base stones for the cenotaph were placed at the village crossroads in 1917, and the original monument was erected to honour soldiers who served in the First World War. Later additions were made to honour Second World War veterans.
Langevin said the cenotaph originally sat at the centre of town in a roundabout but it was struck a few times by vehicles.
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“So the town people decided they wanted to move it to a different area. Unfortunately, the World War II veterans didn’t agree with that, so in the middle of the night, a group of them hooked up a bulldozer, put a chain around it and dragged it up to the Legion and since that day, we have been the caretakers of the monument,” he said.
Over the years, pieces have been replaced but the message at the structure’s core remains the same: ‘Lest we forget.’
Community members laid wreaths Wednesday at that cenotaph, honouring the sacrifices made both past and present.
At 11 a.m., attendees observed a moment of silence. Then, they held an extra minute of silence in honour of the four soldiers killed during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright on Oct. 17.
“Recently our nation lost four soldiers who were training in Wainwright, Alberta,” said Master of Ceremonies Keith Carter during the ceremony.
“I would like an additional minute at this time to recognize the sacrifice that all of our Canadian forces members make, every day they go to work. Even here on Canadian soil, as they train to serve their duties overseas and around the world.”
When asked how he reflects this Remembrance Day, Langevin said his thoughts are “all-encompassing.”
“I’m looking at the veterans that are still serving today. I reflect on the sacrifices of the fallen. But then I look at the families who lost their loved ones, the mothers, the fathers, the brothers, and the sisters. So I try to take it all in,” he said.
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