Roland Michener students place Remembrance Day crosses along Main street in Slave Lake.
Every year, November 11th marks the day when we recognize and thank the 2,300,000 Canadians who have served in the military throughout our history and the more than 118,000 who died defending the values and freedoms that make our country great.
Today, in Canada, we have more than 450,000 war veterans and of that total, close to 50,000 live in Alberta.
Remembrance Day ceremonies are planned across the region on November 11th. Five communities have services scheduled: Slave Lake, Kinuso, Smith, Flatbush, and Wabasca. Everyone is welcome and after the ceremonies, free coffee and snacks or lunch are being offered.
In the Town of Slave Lake, the official event starts at 10:55 am by the Cenotaph at the corner of Main street and 4th Avenue in front of the Slave Lake Legion. It starts with the flags being carried in by the Slave Lake Army Cadets, followed by the traditional one minute of silence at 11:00 am and military music, speeches and the laying of wreaths. Afterwards, anyone may lay their poppies on the wreaths. The Northern Lights 4-H Club is organizing the chili lunch.
The Kinosayo Museum is hosting this year’s Remembrance Day service in Kinuso which starts at 10:30 am in front of the museum. Thanks to the Kinuso Girl Guides and Kinuso Fire Department in helping to plan the event.
The Remembrance Day service in Smith is at the Legion on Highway 2A. Activities started around 10:50 am and afterwards there will be soup and sandwiches.
The Flatbush Legion’s ceremony is at 660061 Range Rd 20, and goes from 10:30 am to 11:30 a.m followed by a free lunch.
The Municipal District of Opportunity and Bigstone Cree Nation have a joint Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in front of the George D. Auger Community Hall in Wabasca – the same complex as the arena on Stony Point Road. The service starts just before 11:00 a.m and afterwards everyone is invited for lunch.
“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”
—John Diefenbaker (Canada’s 13th prime minister of Canada from 1957 to 1962)
