Remembrance Day was observed Monday at the cenotaph at the Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse, followed by a parade down Queen St. E. and the annual indoor service held at GFL Memorial Gardens.
Prayers, hymns, speeches, the laying of numerous wreaths and musical performances were included in Monday’s ceremony.
In attendance was Silver Cross Mother Donna Crosson whose son Sgt. John Faught, a Sault native, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.
Over 10,000 people from the Sault and Algoma District have served in Canada’s military since Confederation in 1867.
Pierre Breckenridge, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 president, noted that 2024 also marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Prior to this year’s ceremony, Sault and area schoolchildren learned of the significance of Remembrance Day in the days leading up to Monday’s honouring of veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in war. The children’s activities are included in the photo gallery.
“In preparation for Remembrance Day, Grade 3 and 4 students at École Notre-Dame-du-Sault explored the importance of this day dedicated to honouring Canadian veterans," a release said.
"Through learning activities, poems, songs and prayers, they learned about the poppy’s symbolism, the veterans’ legacy along with the significant part played by First Nations veterans during the war. Students then created mosaics to represent a cross and poppies followed by writing thoughtful messages in French and in English for local veterans.
"Through these learning activities, Notre-Dame-du-Sault students shared their Catholic values by spreading messages of love and peace,” the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon release stated.
