5,000 honour veterans at Coliseum
Published Wednesday November 12th, 2008
Attendance way up at Remembrance Day ceremonies across the region
BY NICK MOORE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
With mixed feelings of pride and sorrow in the air, veterans of war entered a Remembrance Day ceremony at the Moncton Coliseum yesterday to the standing applause of about 5,000 people in attendance.
Greg Agnew/Times & Transcript
As veterans of wars past and present entered the Moncton Coliseum yesterday, the applause was thunderous.
It was one of the several Nov. 11 ceremonies and services in Metro Moncton yesterday, marking 90 years since the end of the First World War.
It was a day to remember for both the young and old in all of southeastern New Brunswick. The Coliseum ceremony was organized by Canadian Legion Branch No. 9 with locals gathering to share in the remembrance while paying tribute to Canadians who are fighting a war thousands of kilometres away right now.
The nation's contributions and sacrifices were recognized from the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the war in Afghanistan and the many peacekeeping missions organized throughout Canada's history.
Françoise Despres, a Second World War veteran who served in the Army Infantry, was at the Coliseum ceremony and said Remembrance Day ceremonies, wherever they may be held, are important to all who have served because they give an opportunity to reflect upon those who didn't return home.
"These events are important because of what they represent to the whole world," said Despres, adding he felt uncomfortable being referred to as a hero, something a Coliseum full of people would have likely argued with him about.
"We weren't heroes, but we thought the world couldn't go on the way it was with Hitler and what was going on in Europe," he said. "We thought something had to be done. So we went over and we did what we had to do. But I don't consider myself a hero or anything like that.
"We were given a job to do and we did it."
The ceremony at the Coliseum was one of five Nov. 11 events which took place within Metro yesterday.
A two-minute moment of silence was observed at the eleventh hour inside the Dieppe Market, with a ceremony organized by the City of Dieppe and the Dieppe Veterans Association. Art Cuthbertson, a member of the association, said he was very pleased with the turnout.
"We had many more people show up than we expected so we're probably going to double our seating capacity for next year," he said. "We had seating for 150 people but we had about double that amount show up."
In Riverview, Remembrance Day services were held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church where about 500 people filled the building to standing room only. The service included young children singing from local school choirs. Claude Soucy, president of the Riverview Veterans and Armed Forces Association, said it's encouraging to see young people attend Remembrance Day ceremonies.
"It's nice to see as you walk out of the church kids giving each other hi-fives and stuff like that," he said.
Moncton's Sunny Brae Legion Branch No. 54 saw more than 1,000 people gather around the cenotaph on Massey Avenue. Debbie Darte, second vice-chairwomen for the poppy campaign at Sunny Brae Legion, said having the ceremony outside in the brisk autumn air was fine with her, even appropriate.
"It may have been cold and windy but I kept thinking to myself about what they had to go through in the trenches," said Darte.
A remembrance ceremony was also held outside in Moncton's Victoria Park yesterday. Other ceremonies in several southern New Brunswick communities were well-attended as well.
About 300 people gathered for an interdenominational church service at the Legion in Salisbury followed by the laying of wreaths at the local cenotaph nearby.
"We're a small little place and a small little Legion but the people in this village really do turn out, young and old," said Theresa Gogan, president of Canadian Legion Branch No. 31.
Russell Cole, president of the Sackville Canadian Legion Branch No. 26, said more than 3,000 people lined Bridge Street in the town to commemorate and applaud local war veterans who were walking in a paraded procession.
"It's the biggest crowd we've ever had show up," said Cole. "I've been working on Legion parades for the last 20 years and it's definitely the biggest one I've ever seen."
Cole said many of the Sackville spectators were of the younger generation and he gave credit to local school teachers who have been educating children about Canada's war history.
"A lot of our teachers are really getting involved in showing what our soldiers have done and it's really coming around," he said.
Brandon Smith, 12, of Lower Coverdale was at the Moncton Coliseum ceremony yesterday and said it was important for him to attend a Nov. 11 ceremony.
"I just wanted to be here to show the veterans that we haven't forgotten what they did," he said, adding that many of his fellow classmates were planning to make time for remembrance yesterday.
Alex Richard, 19, a student at l'Université de Moncton, also attended the Coliseum ceremony yesterday. Richard's grandfather is a war veteran so he said there's definitely a felt connection to the day for him.
"I think some people might just use Remembrance Day as a day off but you definitely got people here who come to remember the veterans," he said. "It's really important to remember everything they did for us.