At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day … marking time for a brief moment in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that others could enjoy freedom and liberty. The solemn moment, captured in this picture taken at last year's Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Ville de Laval Cenotaph, will be recreated in the same respectful fashion at the 2006 gathering which will take place today, Sunday, November 5th.
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Honouring and remembering
At Royal Canadian Legion (Chomedey) Branch 251
The members and friends of Royal Canadian Legion 251 have a busy week ahead of them as they commemorate the solemn and often heart-wrenching annual Remembrance Day.
It's never easy, one can imagine, for war veterans and or their descendants to mark these yearly events, memory banks being what they are – the memories of one's own participation in the tragedy of war, with inescapable loss of innocence for one's self and more painfully, the loss of comrades or mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, neighbours, friends, or acquaintances.
But such is the history of this embattled planet. Sadly, war as devastating as it always is cannot always be avoided and that's when the young die young and the goodness of human beings takes a back seat to having to defend with lethal weapons … values, freedoms, rights, independence, innocence, property, life, and more, so much more.
Fortunately, in remembering our war veterans we get the chance year after year to make amends in our own unique ways for the damage and loss suffered by others, those who came before us and fought for us, knowing not what their future would hold or if we would truly appreciate their ultimate sacrifice.
At the Legion
Grasping the essence and substance of the need to acknowledge, remember, and celebrate our past, members of Royal Canadian Legion 251 in collaboration with many others, were instrumental in organizing the 2006 Remembrance Day Parade which takes place today, Sunday, November 5, in Chomedy, starting at 10:00 am from Des Chateaux Street (near the flee market), from where it will proceed south and west to city hall and the Ville de Laval Cenotaph, for an Eleven O'clock Solemn Ceremony.
The parade and subsequent ceremony will once again be graced by the presence of a large number of community leaders representing all levels of government, Legion Branches in Laval and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Legion 251 will follow up the November 5th Parade with a Dinner Dance on Saturday, November 11th, starting at 6:00 pm, at the Legion Hall.
"The dinner dance is open to all members and friends of the Legion, with veterans admitted for free," spokesperson Don Paradis told Courrier Laval Weekly News. Admission for all others is $11.
"Please reserve in advance because very few tickets will be available at the door," adds past president Paradis, a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces. "We especially invite veterans who would like to attend but who have not yet called us to do so as soon as possible so we can reserve a place for them at the dinner dance. It is they to whom we want to give priority. It is their day."
As usual, judging by past precedent, the food will be exquisite, the live music by Stardust (a trio of talented musicians - Daphene, Joseph, Norbert -), who frequently entertain at Legion events, will be toe-tapping, heart stirring, diversified, and highly suitable for the occasion. "These are wonderful musicians who put not only their ample talents but also their generous hearts and souls into their playing. Their music is a joy to listen and dance to, and we'll be very happy to have the band with us when we show our appreciation for our veterans, our members, and our friends," Mr. Paradis concluded.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 251 is located at 2000 Cure-Labelle Blvd. in Chomedey, Laval, just a short distance north of St-Martin Blvd. The Legion Hall can be reached by telephone at (450) 681-6722 or by e-mail at rcl@videotron.ca
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Météo: Laval, 6 juillet 2008 / 26°C
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