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www.insideHALTON.com |OAKVILLE BEAVER |Thursday, November 17, 2016 |6 The Royal Canadian Legion Oakville Branch 114 held a Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in George's Square last Friday (Nov. 11). At far left, Jim Gibb, a veteran who was wounded twice, attends the service with family mem bers.The ceremony was complete with flypasts of numerous aircraft. Top right, Cpi. James MacDonald of the Lome Scots Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment stands guard at the Cenotaph. Below, former Oakville mayor and veteran Harry Barrett is bundled against the chilly winds to attend. Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Gwyneth Lorimer, recited the poem, In Flanders Fields. | Riziero Vertolli/Metroland Oakville honours its veterans on Remembrance D ay by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff A bitterly cold wind failed to keep Oakville resi dents from venturing out to remember those who went to war -- some never to return home -- and those who continue to serve. Hundreds of people converged on the Oakville Cenotaph at George' s Square as 11 a.m. approached last Friday (Nov. 11). The crowd consisted of young and old, entire classrooms of children, and veterans who served during the Second World War, Afghanistan and other conflicts in between. Bright red poppies could be seen on the lapels of all present as they paused to remember Cana da' s fallen heroes. "We come here today remembering their ef forts, remembering their resolve, remembering their determination to do whatever needed to be done in the face of sometimes evil, and certainly in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges that we just cannot imagine," said Rev. Darcey Lazerte during the ceremony. "The slogan we rally around today is ` Lest We Forget.' Lest we forget the cost of war. Lest we forget the sacrifices made. Lest we forget the price paid for freedom. Lest we forget the desire and prayer for peace." Lazerte continued by noting Remembrance Day is a time not only to remember those who served and those who made the ultimate sacri fice, but a time for remembering that, as citizens of this world, we are all in it together and no one is better than anyone else. The day meant different things to different people. Josh Broadbent, who grew up in Oakville, said he used to bring his grandfather, Charles Bate man, to the local Remembrance Day ceremony. Bateman was a survivor of the failed raid on the German-occupied port at Dieppe, France during the Second World War. That attack ended with 907 Canadian soldiers dead and thousands wounded and taken pris oner. Bateman would spend the rest of the war as a prisoner in German-occupied Poland, working for a farming family that was being forced to pro duce food for the Nazis. During the ceremony, Broadbent carried the identity tag his grandfather had been forced to wear while in captivity. After the war, Bateman spoke about his expe riences to area school children to educate them about the horrors of war. He has since died. "It is important to keep the spirit of what hap pened alive," said his grandson. Oakville resident Harold Innes said he attends the Remembrance Day ceremony to remember his grandfather, John Innes, who was killed during the First World War at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The gruelling battle saw the Canadian Corps, in just a few days, take over strategic ground, which for years had withstood attacks by the British and French. The action cost the lives of 3,600 Canadians. "It is important to remember what Canada has fought for," said Innes. "Many have sacrificed to keep it this way. A lot of those boys at Vimy were 16 or 17 years old and they left their families to serve their country and never came back." Cpl. Humberta Dias, who has served with the Canadian Forces for the last 26 years, talked about her experience in Bosnia in 1998. Canadian soldiers were tasked with helping to bring medical care to the people of the war-torn country. They were also put to work rebuilding schools and medical facilities. "It was a real eye-opener to see a war-torn country and how we helped to stabilize this place," she said. "I saw a lot of blown-up homes. I drove to Sa rajevo at one point and you could see minefields being cleared." see Remembrance on p.10 Oakvile Bearer Volume 54 | Number 92 JL O n t a r io P re ss C o u n c il Defending principles to inspire public trust O ak ville B eaver is a m em ber of the O n tario Press C ou n cil, T h e council is located at 80 G ou ld St,, Suite 206,T oron to, O nt., M 5B 2M 7, P hone (416) 340-1981, Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. 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