Death threat caused public Remembrance Day ceremony cancellation: B.C. Legion branch

According to a branch spokesperson, the threat was 'if the United Nations flag was flown at the Remembrance Day ceremony, someone might get killed.'

A legion branch in B.C.’s Okanagan region says it had to alter its Remembrance Day ceremony due to a threat of violence.

A spokesperson with the Oyama branch of the Royal Canadian Legion said police contacted them on Wednesday, telling them the threat came through the regional district.

According to branch president Rob Nairne, the threat was “if the United Nations flag was flown at the Remembrance Day ceremony, someone might get killed.”

That threat, said Nairne, was enough for organizers to officially cancel the ceremony in Lake Country.

However, the branch still held a small ceremony, albeit at the Legion branch, while an unofficial ceremony took place at the cenotaph in Winfield.

“As an executive, we took the position that it wasn’t worth putting our necks on the line for that,” said Nairne, adding they didn’t know if the non-specific threat was aimed at the Oyama branch or other Legion branches in the Central Okanagan.

Nairne said the branch took the threat seriously, stating “when the RCMP tells you something like that, we thought it was the right thing to do.”

Still, the event went on, albeit in a much smaller manner.