Thousands pay tribute as Remembrance Day ceremony returns to Winnipeg convention centre
CBC
As the Last Post from a bugler echoed through the hall of Winnipeg's RBC Convention Centre, not a single other sound could be heard as thousands stood silent at Friday's Remembrance Day service.
An estimated 2,000 members of the public were able to attend Manitoba's largest remembrance ceremony for the first time since 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the event in 2020 and 2021, and the scaling back of other ceremonies in the city and around the province.
"This morning, as we reflect upon our blessings, we ask that we may be faithful stewards of the freedom that we have been granted," the master of ceremonies at Friday morning's ceremony said, noting this year, the 11th minute of the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, marked 104 years since the end of the First World War.
It also marked the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe raid in northern France, during the Second World War.
Manitoba Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville laid the first wreath, followed by Memorial Cross recipient Shannon Morley, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, MP Dan Vandal on behalf of the Government of Canada, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham and numerous service members and veterans.
The service at the convention centre was one of about a dozen in Winnipeg, including one at Vimy Ridge Memorial Park.
Close to 200 people gathered in fresh snow for the service by the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment, on the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France.
"Today, we give thanks to the women and men of every generation who have answered the call to serve our country," said Canadian Armed Forces Chaplain Capt. Antin Sloboda.
"Each sacrifice is imprinted in the fabric that shapes the identity of Canada and thus cannot be forgotten."
And in a world that continues to be shaken with struggle and instability, including a war in Ukraine, it is equally important to think of those serving our country today, he added.
"We ask for blessings for our Canadian Armed Forces who are deployed in supporting allies in Europe and globally, and who serve on humanitarian missions helping those who carry the burdens of conflict most severely — refugees, vulnerable minorities, women and children," Sloboda said.
Barry Mitchell of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association was at Friday's ceremony at the RBC Convenstion Centre.
He was there to remember his father and uncle, both Winnipeg Grenadiers, who died in the Second World War at the hands of the Japanese.
The City of Charlottetown is attempting to mend its relationship with Elections P.E.I.
The owner of a Hamilton restaurant says he "can't be more thankful" to the community for the response he received after an incident that police say they are investigating as a hate crime.
It was Windsor's Ward 10 councillor who gave his constituents the "Please Slow Down" sign sitting on the law outside the home where a woman died this week after a driver crashed through the building. Now, Coun. Jim Morrison says he's going to look into new traffic calming measures for the area.
When new immigrants arrive in Calgary without strong English, they often look for clearing jobs or warehouse work. But with unemployment rates among newcomers soaring, even these entry-level jobs are in short supply.
Laura Petit moved into her current rental in Thunder Bay, Ont., because she wanted to live somewhere quiet and accessible while recovering from open-heart surgery.
Before tiny French bulldog Clementine was brought to the Toronto Humane Society, she was found abandoned and bleeding inside a chip box in a park.
Canada's premiers are meeting virtually Wednesday with the prime minister to discuss the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he hopes to talk about the country's approach to negotiations.
A man from Pelly Crossing, Yukon, wants the Whitehorse General Hospital to do better when discharging rural patients who arrive by medevac.
A prominent Canadian novelist is speaking out after a local high school teacher was ordered to stop teaching one of his award-winning novels in class because of its use of the N-word.
A 29-year-old Canadian woman is facing charges in New Zealand after customs authorities say she was caught with 10.2 kilograms of methamphetamine inside her carry-on baggage at an Auckland airport, with the contraband wrapped as if it belonged under a Christmas tree.
A day after a judicial recount confirmed the loss of his seat and two weeks after his party was nearly wiped out in the provincial election, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill has stepped down from the helm of the party.