Local schools honour troops with personal tributes at Remembrance Day ceremony PARVANEH PESSIAN ppessian@durhamregion.com BROOKLIN -- Messages of respect and appreciation for Canadian troops rang out during a Remembrance Day cere- mony in Brooklin Friday afternoon. One by one, students from seven elementary schools in the area stepped forward to speak, and in some cases sing or play a musical instrument, in honour of war veterans and soldiers currently serving overseas. "We know Remembrance Day is on Sunday but we do our service on a weekday so that the schools can come because it's so important for the kids to be involved," said Lisa Dinsmore, first vice-president of the Brooklin Legion. "They're our future and if they don't remember, then who's going to remember when all our veterans are gone?" The service was held outside Luther Vipond Memorial Arena and was attended by several veterans from the community. "I wouldn't miss this," said Bert Harding, a Brooklin resident who served in the Canadian Army Occupation Force after the Second World War. "It's to honour our veterans and those that lost their lives so that we could be here today and enjoy what we have." Having the students present personal tributes helps deepen their understanding of what Remembrance Day is all about, said Durham District School Board superintendent John Bowyer. "What the teachers do back at the school is they talk about connections to the students' own lives and soldiers they might know who served or are currently serving so that they understand the importance of remembering." Various local organizations and representatives from all three levels of government were in attendance to pay their respects. "It's encouraging to see all of the youth here today," said Nancy Shaw, representative for Whitby-Oshawa MP and Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. "We hope that all of our veterans will continue to share their experiences so that we don't forget." Reporter Parvaneh Pessian covers the town of Whitby for Metroland Media Group's Durham Region Division Tim Whittaker - Publisher Joanne Burghardt - Editor-in-Chief Mike Johnston - Managing Editor Fred Eismont - Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak - Classifi ed Advertising Manager Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager Lillian Hook - Offi ce Manager Janice O'Neil, Cheryl Haines - Composing Managers PH 905-579-4400 CLASSIFIEDS 905-576-9335 GENERAL FAX 905-576-9335 NEWS FAX 905-579-1809 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Member: Ontario Press Council, OCNA, CCNA, SNA. All content copyright A Metroland Media Group Ltd. Publication Brooklin community unites to remember SABRINA BYRNES / METROLAND WHITBY -- Bob Peddle, first vice-president at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 112 Whitby, saluted as the Last Post played during the Remembrance Day ceremony, at the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena Nov. 9. At right are some of the wreaths placed by people in the community during the ceremony. >