Murray Wood: Of Easter bunny bells and Juicy Fruit gum
For Murray Wood, Easter brings to mind grandma's practical advice about repurposing, and some of life's little lessons.
Thousands stood silent on the 11th minute of the 11th hour at Victoria Park in Regina on Tuesday as the crowd circled the Cenotaph for a Remembrance Day ceremony.
People stood with poppies on their chests while the sound of a pipe band and the Last Post was trumpeted through the park.
Read more:
- Canada remembers ‘heroic service’ of war dead, veterans across country
- Poppies from Flanders Fields taking root at University of Saskatchewan
- ‘We can do this’: Second World War veteran reflects on women breaking barriers
- Petition calls on Ottawa to establish review board to reassess veterans’ acts of valour
Representatives from groups such as the Canadian Armed Forces and The Royal Canadian Legion, as well as several civilians, laid wreaths at the base of the Cenotaph in honour of the fallen.
Wreaths adorned with poppies were placed near the Cenotaph on Nov. 11, 2025. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)
Sean Darling, a veteran with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, stood wearing his poppy and his medals at the ceremony.
“We have to remember, because if we forget, histories of the past will be repeated,” he said.
Darling did a peacekeeping tour in Cyprus between 1992 to 1993.
He served as a rifleman, patrolling the Green Line separating opposing forces at the United Nations Buffer Zone.
During that time, Darling manned observation posts and prevented any hostilities from happening.
A year ago, he was one of the veterans selected to return to Cyprus for Remembrance Day ceremonies marking 50 years since Turkey invaded the north, in response to a military coup supported by the Greek government.
Sean Darling stands in Victoria Park near the Regina Cenotaph on Remembrance Day in 2025. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)
“It was nice to go back,” Darling said. “The last Canadian soldier who died in Cyprus was my old teammate I used to play soccer with.
“It was nice to go back pay tribute to him, as well as the other 28 Canadians who gave their lives there.”
This Remembrance Day marks the 80th anniversary of the Second World War.
Darling said its an important milestone, but all veterans should be remembered as heroes.
“They’re all significant,” he said. “Every year, remembering the same sacrifice … it doesn’t diminish World War One, NATO, Afghanistan, Korea peacekeeping, they’re all significant.”
Darling is keeping some of the veterans he knew that died in the line of duty in his thoughts this Remembrance Day.
Tom Jacob stands in Victoria Park in Regina on Nov. 11, 2025. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)
Tom Jacob, a veteran with the Canadian Armed Forces, served as a mechanic in Germany, Egypt, and across Canada for over 31 years.
“It is important that they come to these ceremonies,” Jacob said. “But I believe everybody celebrates it in their own way.”
His grandfather served in the First World War and his father served in the Second World War — and both returned home.
Jacob said he’s keeping his family who served in mind.
Read more:
- Canada remembers ‘heroic service’ of war dead, veterans across country
- Poppies from Flanders Fields taking root at University of Saskatchewan
- ‘We can do this’: Second World War veteran reflects on women breaking barriers
- Petition calls on Ottawa to establish review board to reassess veterans’ acts of valour
