The Estevan Comprehensive School Cafetorium was nearly full late Friday morning as the community gathered in a solemn service to pay tribute to those who had died while serving in two world wars and more recent wars and conflicts.
The annual Remembrance Day service, organized by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 60, featured an enhanced video presentation depicting all, or nearly all, of the local and regional veterans who served in the Second World War and many from the First World War as well as the Korean War and Afghanistan War.
A cenotaph ceremony in the school's courtyard followed the service and it featured the wreath laying procedures as various organizations paid their particular tributes to the fallen by placing a wreath of remembrance at the foot of the cenotaph that was guarded by four cadets representing the Estevan PPCLI Elks Army Cadets and Wylie-Mitchell Air Cadet Squadron.
With the video presentation taking the place of a guest speaker, the program also featured a musical tribute by singer/songwriter Terry Kelly, which was included in the video as he performed A Pittance Of Time, a song that was written specifically for Remembrance Day.
During the invocation and prayer of exhortation, Major Len Millar of the Estevan Salvation Army noted that it was time to remember the costs of war as well as the victories, but to always remember the 117,000 lives that were lost in the Canadian military during the two great wars.
"We remember with hope as we remember the victories," he said.
Legion member Troy LeBlanc was master of ceremonies for both the service in the cafetorium and the cenotaph ceremony while Estevan Legion president Eileen Rosner read the role of honour.
During the cafetorium service, a single wreath in memory of the unknown soldier was laid by Rosner and Marlene Hayward while the PPCLI Cadet Pipe and Drums played Amazing Grace as well as piping in the veterans and special guests behind colour party leader Christoper Bird. Members of the ECS band, led by Kyle Whitehead, provided musical interludes as well as the Last Post and Reveille that preceded and followed the minute of silence.
Past president Ken Clark recited the poignant poem In Flanders Field as part of the service prior to the wreath laying ceremonies.
Following the two events, many Legion members and guests enjoyed a social afternoon in the Legion Hall to conclude the formal portion of this special Canadian day of remembrance.
