KISBEY - The community of Kisbey gathered with solemn respect to observe Remembrance Day, honouring the sacrifices of veterans past and present.
This year's service was especially notable, with esteemed guest speakers Craig Bird from the Â鶹´«Ã½AV East Saskatchewan Military Museum in Estevan and John Voutour, a retired Canadian peacekeeper.
Nora Wreightman was the MC for the afternoon service, welcoming more than 80 people in attendance. The crowd sang O Canada, and as silence fell over the crowd, the last post and two minutes of silence were observed in honour of those who have fallen.
Pastor Kevin St. John opened with a prayer of invocation, followed by scripture readings from Psalm 24 and 46, and Isaiah 2:2-5.
Wreightman named off the 36 veterans of those from the area who died in war, so they would never be forgotten for the sacrifices they made for Canada.
St. John spoke about how Jesus wanted peace for this world, and that true refuge was not found in weapons but through Christ. Peace comes when we see the strength in God.
Bird went to France in June for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Fifteen veterans who were able to travel also went.
The Juno Beach Centre was a busy place as many dignitaries came as well, and Bird placed photos on the beach where some of the soldiers had lost their lives.
“It was an experience I will never forget,” he said.
A Métis soldier who went to war for Canada died while serving Canada, and his photo was among those placed by Bird on Juno Beach.
Voutour was a peacekeeper, and he said the conditions were so different from one country to another. They were only allowed to carry 20 bullets and ammunition was only used in extreme conditions.
“It was only our place to keep peace, we were not the ones at war,” he said.
Voutour joined the army while living in New Brunswick. He had a choice of going east or west, and since he had never been to the west, this is were he decided to go.
During his stay in Cyprus at age 18, the conditions were not that bad. They lived in a building, could call home once a week and send letters.
It was shift work, with four hours on and four hours off, and this went for 24 hours. They were given days off, but were on-call all the time, so they did not get relaxation time.
When Voutour went to Egypt, the conditions were much different. Contacting home was done through letters, and no phone calls happened. They lived in tents with many peacekeepers.
The tents were on a race track, while food was stored under the bleachers.
“The food was not the greatest, but it was food,” he said.
It is an experience that will live on forever in his mind.
“I could talk about this for hours, but we are on a time limit,” said Voutour.
Voutour asked that everyone remember the young soldiers that are in Afghanistan. Their conditions are not good. He feels that soldiers today do not get the respect that soldiers received back in the day, and it is important to remember them.
Last week's edition of the Observer had more on Voutour's service. The article can also be found on our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca.
As the closing prayer was uttered, and the singing of God Save the King was completed, a luncheon was served for everyone to gather, talk about the past and enjoy the presence of today with the freedom that Canada has.
