While no one can be certain from day to day how many new cases of COVID-19 may arise and what new provincial government regulations, if any, may develop regarding public gatherings, here’s what we know so far about how local Remembrance Day ceremonies will look Nov. 11.
The traditional Remembrance Day ceremony at GFL Memorial Gardens accompanied by the usual parade to and from the Cenotaph outside the Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse will not take place.
This year’s ceremony will take place solely at the Cenotaph, with an invitation-only gathering to follow at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25.
“We realized fairly early on we were not going to be able to hold our traditional Remembrance Day ceremony in the Gardens because of numbers,” said Pierre Breckenridge, Branch 25 1st vice president, speaking to SooToday.
The usual number of ceremony and parade participants alone, not including members of the public observing the ceremony at the Gardens, would be well over COVID-19 public gathering restrictions (50 people indoors, 100 people outdoors).
“At this point what we’re planning for is a representation of the various groups that typically would have participated in the parade and the ceremony in the Gardens, moving it to the Cenotaph,” Breckenridge said.
“Typically that ceremony at the Cenotaph is a brief ceremony lasting about 20 minutes or less, to lay some specific wreaths. This year the entire ceremony, an enhanced ceremony, will take place at the Cenotaph, and it will include some additional wreath-laying.”
“What we’re looking at is pre-placing some wreaths, making sure that all Canadian wars and conflicts are represented as we normally would have done at the Gardens, and bringing in some of the more predominant representation from the governments of Canada and Ontario, and some of the military organizations as well.”
“We’re also going to place some wreaths around the Legion building as well, from organizations and individuals that purchase a wreath in memory of various individuals and service people,” Breckenridge said.
The ceremony at the Cenotaph will include members from various organizations such as the 49th (Sault Ste. Marie) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA), 33 Service Battalion and various police services, playing the Last Post, a limited number of speeches and a gun salute.
“We’re discouraging spectators from coming down because clearly, we want to respect the guidance from public health regarding the number of people allowed at a public gathering. The number of people from the Legion, the parade participants and the wreath-laying ceremony participants is probably going to take up the number they’re recommending for a gathering. We’re hoping to protect the general public’s health.”
Realizing spectators can’t be forced to stop from observing the Cenotaph ceremony from afar, Breckenridge said spectators staying away from the Cenotaph won’t miss a big parade this year.
“What will act as a parade this year will be a movement from the back of the Courthouse along the side of the building and on to the street and that’ll be very short (because) if we’re not going into the Gardens there’s not much point of a large parade.”
The Legion will proceed with March for a Veteran, however, due to rules on social gatherings, Breckenridge said “if I have 15 veterans who want to participate in the parade, I’m going to let those 15 veterans in the parade, so if it comes down to a choice between letting 13 veterans and two March for a Veteran people march, I’m going to take the 15 veterans and they can hold signs for others.”
“I want as many spaces left for veterans because we have to remember what Remembrance Day is. We want to honour and recognize the sacrifice and service of men and women who served in the armed forces and we want as many of those people to participate.”
“They’re going to want to come. That’s the way service people are. Duty and honour are paramount in their thinking and they’re going to want to come,” Breckenridge said.
March for a Veteran is an opportunity for a family member, or a member of the public, to honour a veteran, a veteran being anyone who has served or is serving with the Canadian Armed Forces or the RCMP.
A family member may march for a veteran who is deceased, ill or too frail to take part in the typical Remembrance Day march, or someone unable to attend because he or she is currently deployed with the Forces in Canada or abroad.
Parade participants and veterans will be invited back to the Legion. There will be an invitation-only lunch for them, lasting until approximately 3 p.m.
As for this year’s Legion Poppy Fund campaign, final details are still being ironed out, Breckenridge said.
Barring any unforeseen developments, this year’s local Poppy Fund campaign will start with the traditional flag-raising at the Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 30.
“There will be donation boxes at various locations throughout the city where the owner or manager will safeguard the boxes and give us a call when the poppies are depleted and we’ll replace them. Where possible we’ll still have some people there with masks and their Legion or military uniforms on and the choice will be theirs if they want to stand near the tables where the boxes will be, at a reasonable distance, and people will be free to come up and make the normal donation and take a poppy,” Breckenridge said.
“The Legion will also pilot an electronic ‘Pay Tribute’ box that will allow people to donate and receive a poppy with tap and pay technology. The boxes will be found in 250 select locations across the country. More information about this donation method will be released within the next few weeks,” a Legion news release states.
2020 has been a significant year, marking the 75th anniversary of Canada’s Liberation of The Netherlands, the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the 80th anniversary of The Battle of Britain, ceremonies for each drastically limited in the number of participants due to COVID restrictions.
“(But) we’ve acknowledged every single one of those anniversaries. We did as much as we could within the conditions. We remembered, we commemorated and we educated,” Breckenridge said.
Money raised from the Legion’s annual Poppy Fund campaign (both locally and nationwide) is the only fundraising event the organization holds, all funds raised going toward veterans facing homelessness, food insecurity, operational stress injury and the application process for receiving government benefits. Donated funds also support veterans' families and communities.
