‘We all must tend to democracy’: Alberta residents mark Remembrance Day

EDMONTON — An Alberta soldier says he’s reflecting this Remembrance Day on the number of local troops being shipped overseas.

Lt.-Col. Bryn Wright, commanding officer of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, was one of hundreds who bowed their heads Monday for a solemn ceremony that comes as conflicts escalate in Europe and the Middle East.

Wright, who enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2008 and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, said this year was particularly important to him because many from Edmonton’s military community are deployed overseas, including more than 40 people from Wright’s regiment alone.

“This city, the people here, always step up to the plate when things are bad, whether it be back at the Boer War, World War I, World War 2, all the way through to now,” he told those gathered at Edmonton City Hall.

An 11-piece pipe band sent chills through the air as their tune “Highland Cathedral” echoed through city hall. As the band played on, cadets stood at ease in a straight and narrow line.

Randy Boissonnault, the local member of Parliament, said 2.3 million Canadians fought in the country’s most significant conflicts. Roughly 118,000 were killed in action.

“We stand here in this moment as a direct result of their sacrifices,” he told those gathered at Edmonton City Hall.

Boissonnault, comparing democracy to a flower garden, said Canadians must be like its gardeners as thousands of Canadian troops are deployed overseas. He noted many are training Ukrainian soldiers to defend themselves against Russia.

“We all must tend to democracy,” he said.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said Alberta’s capital city has a deep military history spanning more than 100 years, with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment tracing its history back to 1908.

Outside the building, the traditional folk song “Scotland the Brave” could be heard as hundreds more Edmontonians stood in the teeth-chattering cold to look up at the city’s cenotaph, guarded by four armed soldiers.

At the stroke of 11, they fell silent as a bugle sounded “The Last Post.” Veterans and their families joined other dignitaries to lay wreaths at the foot of the cenotaph.

Wright said he was pleased with Monday’s turnout.

“You can see by the numbers that today is not just about speeches,” he said. “It’s about reflection on where we came from and what our history is and remembering those who served and fell and those who continue to serve.

“It is very heartwarming for the members of the regiment to know that the city supports us.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a statement, said Remembrance Day honours those who died and those soldiers who fight personal battles when they come home.

“We honour the veterans who carry these invisible wounds of service and we stand with the families who supported them through every challenge,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2024.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press