Thousands lined Fraser Highway and filled the parking lot of the Royal Canadian Legion鈥檚 Aldergrove branch on Remembrance Day, Saturday, Nov. 11.
Branch president Deb Gray called it the best turnout for the event in many years.
鈥淲e had a good amount of people last year, but this year鈥檚 a lot more,鈥� Gray enthused.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful turnout, just lots of people. It鈥檚 great.鈥�
Thousands lined Fraser Highway and filled the parking lot of the Royal Canadian Legion Aldergrove branch on Remembrance Day. The cenotaph was re consecrated with the names of the fallen from the two World Wars.
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One of the participants was a soldier currently serving in the military, and a newcomer to Aldergrove.
Warrant Officer Didier Martin, who was transferred to Canadian Armed Forces 192 Construction Engineering Flight in Aldergrove about a month ago, has been serving since 2007, including a tour of duty as a peacekeeper in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, as well as different Canadian postings.
鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 realize that we have younger veterans,鈥� Martin told the 91原创 Advance Times.
鈥淭he Afghanistan war was not that long ago, and a lot of the veterans out there deserve our thanks for all the sacrifice they鈥檝e done. And when we talk about the sacrifice, it鈥檚 not only the fallen soldiers, but those who came back home with long-lasting injuries either physical or mental.鈥�
Martin viewed Remembrance Day as 鈥渁 time for the community to get together and support their serving members.鈥�
He added that he personally includes the RCMP, local police forces, and the firefighters, in that number.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e all together as a team.鈥�
Chaplain Paul Guiton talked about the tragic fact that wars still continue, in the Ukraine and Middle East.
鈥淥ur Canadian veterans have fought for justice and peace, not in any way for anything they individually were going to get out of that situation,鈥� Guiton told the crowd.
鈥淎nd so, today, to those of us who are left behind we say, along with Jesus, blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.鈥�
READ ALSO: Remembering the fallen at Aldergrove Remembrance Day service
The cenotaph was re-consecrated with the names of the fallen from both World Wars, bronze plaques bearing the names of 59 First World War dead and 61 Second World War dead.
It marked the completion of a year-long project headed by branch second vice president Owen Burdett, sports chairman Jack Michael Nicholls, and Vivian Lillico, a retired master Corporal and 20-year veteran, currently Sgt-at-arms for the ladies auxiliary.
