With the murders of two Canadian soldiers on home soil recently, Remembrance Day has new meaning this year.
And Tri-City Legions are marking the special day by paying tribute to the fallen with parades, cenotaph services, lunches and music.
COQUITLAM
Branch 263 will have a gathering at 10 a.m. at Como Lake middle school followed by a parade to the cenotaph at 10:30 a.m. on Veterans Way (as in past years, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are invited to march with their veteran grandparent in the parade). Wreath laying is at 11 a.m. and will conclude with a parade to the Legion Hall (1025 Ridgeway Ave.) at 11:30 a.m. for a lunch and music by the SFU Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band and the Naval Veterans Band. Hot chocolate, cold drinks, coffee and doughnuts will be served free of charge in the Scout Hall for parents and kids.
PORT COQUITLAM
Branch 133 begins its parade from Wilson Centre to Veterans Park (in front of city hall) at 10:15 p.m., with the cenotaph service at 11 a.m. Afterward, the PoCo Legion Pipe Band and the colour party will lead the public - including, for the first time, minors - to the Legion (2675 Shaughnessy St.) for an afternoon of song, dance and comedy.
PORT MOODY
Branch 119 hosts a non-denominational service in the Chip Kerr VC Memorial Auditorium at the Legion Hall (2513 Clarke St.) at 10 a.m. followed by a parade down Clarke for the cenotaph service at 11 a.m. There will be a 21-gun cannon salute and a flyover by the Seymour Artillery Swiftbird Ex-RAF team. Afterward, the SFU Pipe Band will launch an afternoon of multicultural entertainment.
ARTWORK
A painting by Mary Mao, a Grade 10 student at Coquitlam's Gleneagle secondary, will be featured at the Remembrance Day services in the Parliament buildings in Ottawa.
The piece was done last year when Mao was a JumpstArt 9 student as an entry into the Royal Canadian Legion's annual Remembrance Day poster contest. She took first place in her age category at the national level, said teacher Mike McElgunn.
@jwarrenTC
