At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are given opportunity to reflect and to remember the men and women who have served our country throughout the nation’s history.
Programs of remembrance have been taking place for 100 years and local Legion President John McPhail said even though this year’s event will look a bit different, the pandemic will not stop the Remembrance Day program from happening. “There is no way COVID-19 will prevent Branch 262 from observing the single-most important day in our calendar year,” McPhail insisted.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority’s limitation on the size of indoor gatherings means the service will go virtual this year and it will be streamed on the Royal Canadian Legion Outlook Branch #262 Facebook page. The Service of Remembrance will begin at 10:45 on the morning of November 11 and will feature familiar elements of programs past including the Colour Party and Minute of Silence. All three of Outlook’s school will present pre-recorded videos, and a member of Canada’s Armed Forces will speak on the topic of what Remembrance Day means to her. Wreaths will be displayed, and individuals and businesses will be recognized. While the service is being presented differently this year, the objective remains the same according to McPhail. “We at Branch 262 are working very hard to produce a virtual Remembrance Day Service that captures the solemnity and importance of the occasion, even though we have had no previous experience with this type of project,” he said.
An important act of remembrance remains very much the same, and that is the wearing of poppies. The annual Poppy Campaign runs from October 30 to November 11. Poppy trays will be placed in several businesses around town where citizens can make a donation and take a poppy to wear. It is important to note that all of the money raised during the Poppy Campaign is used to help veterans and their families directly. During the past year, the Outlook Branch has earmarked funds to help install a wheelchair lift onto the home of a Veteran, as well as funding an expensive dental procedure for another Veteran. In the past, Outlook Branch has assisted with tuition for a Veteran so that he could complete his course of studies and obtain permanent employment. Another project saw money donated towards training a service dog for a Veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Work like this in Branches across the country demonstrates the vital role the Poppy Campaign plays in honouring and supporting our Veterans. This is true this year, perhaps more than ever. “If anything, the current pandemic has made life even more difficult for Canadian Veterans,” McPhail explained. “Therefore, it is even more important that the Branch 262 Poppy Campaign in 2020 be very successful.”
New year this, in response to health authorities calling for Canadians to wear face masks as a COVID-19 precaution, the Royal Canadian Legion has designed and made masks available to Branches nation wide. Although currently backordered, Branch 262 has a small number of the attractive masks available for a suggested donation of $10.00. If you would like one you can phone or text Branch President John McPhail at 306-867-4413 to place an order.
The work of Branch 262 extends beyond the Remembrance Day service. Following the official program on November 11, a beautiful quilt with a Remembrance motif will be raffled as a fundraiser. As well, viewers will be asked to assist by supplying names of local citizens who served in Canada’s Armed Forces or the RCMP. Branch 262 is engaged in a long-term project to have the names, photos and biographies included in the Military Service Recognition Book. There will also be an update on the plans for the new Veterans Memorial Park which will be located at the 4-way stop in Outlook, as well as how citizens can contribute to this ambitious and important project.
No matter the format the Remembrance Day Service takes this year, the important thing is that we take time to remember the more than 2,300,000 Canadians who have served our country, and the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice.
