Authentic and heartfelt.
Those were the words used to describe the Remembrance Day ceremony at Whonnock Lake Park Saturday morning, Nov. 11, by Warrant Officer James Cooley of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group based out of Vancouver and his wife Lara, who proudly said she has been a military spouse since 2000.
More than 100 people turned out for the ceremony held in front of the Whonnock Lake Centre.
Organizer Dan Olivieri gave the opening remarks on Saturday before MacKayla Pires and Isabella Hunfeld, both 13, read two poems: For the Fallen, 1914 by Laurence Binyon; and High Flight, 1941 by John Gillespie Magee Jr.
The poem In Flanders Fields by Lt.-Col. John McCrae was recited by all in attendance, followed by the official Act of Remembrance.
The Last Post was played over a speaker and two minutes of silence was observed at the stroke of 11. Then The Lament and the Reveille/Rouse were played over a speaker.
Olivieri then recited the Commitment to Remember before the laying of the wreaths – one on behalf of the Whonnock Community and the other on behalf of the children of Whonnock.
Paxton Pires and Nate Funk, both 11, laid the wreath on behalf of the children of Whonnock by a Remembrance plaque outside the centre.
“To remember people who have died for us,” explained Paxton.
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Cooley and his family, including his teenage son Duncan, were there as part of the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation – a national organization that makes sure all the memorials and gravestones of veterans are remembered with poppies placed in their honour, in addition to making sure they are cared for by school children and service members.
“It’s small, it’s heartfelt,” he said about why he enjoys the Whonnock ceremony. Outside of the ceremonies that are held in the field for service members, James noted, Whonnock has the most” authentic feel.”
“I love the community feel,” added Lara. “The truly small, heartfelt, grassroots. This is really an act of remembrance.”
“It really is what remembrance is all about,” she said.