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It was warm and sunny for Remembrance Day in Kincardine
- and that has to be a first.
A standing-room-only crowd gathered in the Kincardine Legion Hall
Wednesday morning for the service, led by Rev. Jim Weir.
"The first Remembrance Day service was held Nov. 11, 1919," he said.
"This is the 90th anniversary of Remembrance Day, when we remember the
thousands who died in the First World War - the war to end all wars."
He said Canadians have joined many countries in war since that time.
"Last Monday, was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall,"
said Weir. "It was built in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Unfortunately, there are still walls in the world, between Palestine and
Israel; and invisible walls that are no less frightening. There is still
hunger, desolation and war in the world that inflicts wounds in people."
Weir said that few people are around today who remember what it was like
to be at war. "I was a teenager at the end of the Second World War," he
said. "And I remember that we had to ration things in Ontario, such as
tea, coffee, sugar, gasoline, and tires. Electricity was even rationed,
and at 4 p.m., the electricity went off in our high school so you had
about five minutes to get your books and get out."
He had friends in the Netherlands who can remember living through the
food shortage during that cold winter of 1944-45.
Weir praised the Legion for helping people to remember. "We have to
respect the pain, the sorrow, the loss, the upheaval, and the sacrifice
of those involved," he said. "And we have to remember the death, the
hardship and the heroism, as well as the comradeship and the goodwill.
We must remember the past but then move on so we do not get mired in the
past."
He said there are so many who are willing to go and fight to defeat
tyranny and thanks to them, Canada has known peace as an absence of war.
The Bible says to turn our swords into plowshares, he said, turn
armaments into useful production to house and feed people. Right now, he
said, the amount of money spent on armaments is 21 times as much as that
spent on food production.
"I look for peace in the absence of war, and inner peace through the
Prince of Peace," said Weir. "There have been many wars since 1918 and
many Peacekeeping conflicts. Many feel that the cost of peace is looking
after the sick and the hungry. That is part of peacemaking and
peacekeeping. Many feel that we can do nothing to combat the evil in the
world. But by not speaking up, we allow politicians to hurt people
through the loss of health care and housing; and we reward
incompetence."
We must remember the great commission: "Love one another as I have loved
you," said Weir, and that there is no greater love than to give one's
life for one's friend.
He closed with a reading of "In Flanders Fields."
An even larger crowd gathered outside for the placing of the wreaths and
the Remembrance Day service at the cenotaph. On hand, as an honour guard
were members of the Kincardine Air Cadets and the Land Force Central
Area Training Centre at Meaford.
The audience sang "O Canada", led by Norm Dunsmoor, followed by "The
Last Post" played by Ron Neyvatte, "The Lament" played by Jennifer
Farrell, two minutes of silence and then "Reville" played by Neyvatte.
The final wreath was placed on behalf of the Children Around the World,
with poppy chairman Cate O'Brien and a group of children.
Beckett Graham, 2, son of Lindy and Jeff Graham of Kincardine, places
his poppy sticker on the cross in front of the Legion Hall after the
cenotaph service
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The Kincardine Legion colour party marches to its place before the
start of the cenotaph service
Jack Pym places the wreath in honour of Our Fallen Comrades
Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb places a wreath on behalf of the Dominion of
Canada
Kincardine deputy mayor Laura Haight places a wreath on behalf of the
County of Bruce
Marg Hurlburt (C) of Cambridge and her grandchildren, Tanner (L), 10,
Teagan, 4, and Piper Van Vliet, 8, of Kitchener, prepare their poppies
to be placed on the cross as they head into the Legion Hall after the
cenotaph service. Marg's father, Ernie Greer, a Second World War
veteran, lived in the Kincardine area, and Marg and her family come to
Kincardine every Remembrance Day to join her mother, Marianne, who still
lives here.
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