HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-11-18, Page 4Page 4 Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Photos by Dave Sykes
GDCI student Andrew Fickling (left)
collects poppies on a wreath while
members of the Maitland Squadron
Air Cadets stand on guard at the
Cenotaph during Remembrance
Day ceremonies in Courthouse Park
Wednesday. Above, Hudson
Milburn, ceremony MC, offers a
salute of reverence following the
placement of his poppy. Below,
from right, Legion Br. 109 mem-
bers, Richard Madge, John Orr,
Barron Purser, Norm Leddy and Ed
Pyette pay respects at the ceno-
taph. Below, Dorothy Barker gets
assistance in placing her poppy on
one of the many wreaths dedicated
in memory of Canada's servicemen
and women.
Ceremony draws thousands
Dave Sykes
signal -star publisher
And we will remember them.
Under clear blue, sunny skies
and with the historic courthouse
clock ominously chiming in the
eleventh hour of the eleventh day,
a few thousand citizens gathered at
the Cenotaph in Courthouse Park
Wednesday to pay tribute to those
brave men and women who gave
their lives for Canada in two world
wars and those who continue to
fight in battles around the globe.
The large Remembrance Day
turnout, which included a few hun-
dred elementary school children
from Goderich Public School, paid
solemn but fitting tribute to the
members of the Canadian forces
who fought in the two world wars
and other conflicts and acknowl-
edged local citizens now serving in
the Canadian military, many over-
seas.
As veterans and members of
the Goderich Legion Branch 109,
marched to the Cenotaph, with
large representation from Maitland
Squadron. Air Cadets and Canadian
Armed forces members from Mea -
ford, the parade was met by one of
the largest crowds assembled for
the Courthouse Park ceremony in
recent memory.
The memorial services, led by
Master of Ceremonies Hudson Mil-
burn, featured special readings of
the iconic poem In Flanders' Fields
by Ann Potter and a Scripture read-
ing by Andrew Fickling. Both are
students of Goderich and District
Collegiate Institute (GDCI).
Trumpeter Hugh McGregor of the
Goderich Laketown Band played
The Last Post just before the crowd
was asked to observe two minutes
of silence in reverence..
Celtic Blue Highlanders Pipe
Major, Matt Hoy, played the La-
• ment on the bagpipe and McGregor
followed with the traditional trum-
peting of Reveille.
Legion Branch 109 President,
June Pyette, read The Act of Re-
membrance and Legion chaplain,
Rev. Canon Allan Livingstone ac-
knowledged the bravery and sacri-
fice of local soldiers and their fami-
lies, closing with a list of Goderich
residents now serving in the Cana-
dan Armed forces.
Those from the Goderich area
presently serving include; Judd Bea-
sley, Adam Johnston, Scott Mclvor,
Todd Kellough, Chris Zizek, Chris
Farrish, Wes Rivett, James, Kieran
and Shawn Kirk, Mike, Gerry and
Gary Lassaline, Damien Arbour
( has completed two tours of Af-
ghanistan), Barbara Hays, Master
Corporal Mike Schneider, Geoffrey
Tolchard and the family of Fred and
Marne Pulham have son Dan and
his sons Robert and Adam and son-
in-law, Steve Beggs and his daugh-
ter Kyrie Lee are all in the armed
forces.
A number of organizations and
businesses placed wreaths at the
cenotaph and citizens were invited
to place their poppies on the wreaths
as a final gesture of remembrance.
Bill Anderson, 87, of Goderich,
who served in northwest Europe in
World War II in an anti-tank regi-
ment, made it to Ottawa Wednes-
day for the national Remembrance
Day Ceremony and was featured in
a Globe and Mail article about vet-
erans who made the journey to the
nation's capital.