Trail and Area Remembrance Day
By Kyra Hoggan
Remembrance Day activities are well under way in the area, with poppies being offered by donation Oct. 25 and 26, as well as Nov. 1 and 2. In the past, the Trail Royal Canadian Legion has raised between $17,000 and $22,000, all of which goes to veterans and their dependents.
Greg Hill, first vice-president of the local Legion and poppy chairman, said volunteers will also be going to care homes and schools Nov. 7 and 8, providing a Remembrance Service and a short presentation. A veteran’s banquet, with vets and dignitaries, is slated for Nov. 9.
As for Nov. 11, Hill said people can assemble downtown at the Fortis building to march along Eldorado to the Cenotaph at Pine and Eldorado at roughly 10:30 a.m. A ceremony will be conducted by the Legion president, then the wreath-laying ceremony. There will also be hot chocolate and hot dogs for the kids at the adjacent church.
“We invite everyone to come back to the Legion Branch afterward,” Hill said. “There will be activities, food, beverages and entertainment, including the Pipe Band.”
Hill said you don’t have to be a Legion member to partake, Remembrance Day is an open-door event. The rest of the year, people can be signed in by a member or become a member themselves (you don’t have to be a veteran to join).
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 11 is located at 2141 Columbia Avenue, in Trail.
