Hundreds of Rosslanders stood in the snow and cold on Wednesday morning to pay their respects to those who sacrificed so much to secure Canada’s freedom.
Following the Remembrance Day parade from the Legion to the Rossland Library, Rosslanders gathered at the cenotaph for ceremonies that included the singing of O Canada, a moment of silence and the Act of Remembrance.
Ceremonies also included a roll call. Greg Granstrom read aloud the names of Rosslanders who served in the First and Second War, as well as the names of three Rosslanders who served in the Second Boer War, while Scouts laid poppies in front of crosses bearing their names.
Ceremonies at the cenotaph were preceded by a Remembrance Day service at the Legion, given by Reverend Ken Siemens.
Siemens reflected on why Rosslanders might have originally chosen to hold a religious service at the Legion on Remembrance Day, and connected the reason with Father Pat, whose monument stands along the parade route.
“He served the community at a time when a lot of people were quite irreligious, skeptical, not a great deal of faith, and yet they appreciated his ministry and they recognized that there was something in what he was doing,”said Siemens. “I was suggesting that it was probably something of that attitude that moved people to want to have the Legion church service, whether they shared the faith being expressed by whoever was leading it, but in some way I think that they almost hoped that it was true. Back then or now, we certainly do not have unanimity of faith in the room, but we have people who want to be here.”
Both the service and the ceremonies at the cenotaph concluded with the singing of “God Save the Queen.”
Then Rosslanders returned to the legion for hot stew and rum, musical entertainment, and lively conversation.
Dough Halladay, president of the Legion and parade master, was happy to see so many people turn out for the day’s activities.
“Glad to see a good crowd out and that people are remembered,” said Doug Halladay.
Fallen Comrades 1899-1902
C.W. CotterhillB.H. LeeE. Mackintosh
Fallen Comrades 1914-1918
C.E. AdamsH. BowersR. BowieE.V. BloomfieldA. CampbellJ. CockingT. CrossJ. DawsonR. GunnH. HolmesJ. InchesM. JanichJ. KearneyE.J. LeeA.G. LeesonA. LindsayR.J. MartelloA. McLeanJ. MellachZ. NikitovichF.S. OliverH. PackerJ. PaulJ.A. PaullR. RakovichT. TalbotJ. TrewhellaG. WallaceT. WallaceWm.V. Wyldes
Fallen Comrades 1939-1945
G. BeleyR.S. ChurchillJ.W. ClarkB.F. CleetonR.E. CoulterE.S. CoutureE.T. CoxT. DunnD. FunkJ. HowellR.A. JohnsonC.J. LewisJ.C. LeesR.J. MartelloJ. McLellanC. MorrisA.W. OggW. OzeroffE.T. PhillipsJ.B. RichardsonJ. TongueD. WatsonJ. Wright