[1]Soldiers holding the flags of Canada aloft during the ceremony. Photo by Jaykob Storey, QNet News
By Jaykob Storey [2]
TRENTON – People arrived in the hundreds on Wednesday to attend the Trenton Remembrance Day ceremony [3], in spite of the cold and rainy weather.
The attending officers and veterans told QNet News that although they were surprised by the large turnout, it was very much appreciated.
Lt.-Cmdr. Jennifer Van Klieff and Lt. John Lilje of Trenton’s Trent Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps [4] said they were pleased to see such a large crowd. Lilje called the ceremony “fantastic.”
Warrant Officer Chris Webster, the conductor for the band at the ceremony, said of the crowd, “I was surprised. It was a really great turnout despite the weather, and it’s great to see so much support for the veterans.”
Harold Gagnon, a retired 15-year veteran of the Canadian Forces, said: “I love it when people show up. (It) shows dedication and shows that people think about us.” Gagnon served in Yugoslavia, Cypress, Africa and the Gulf War and has been attending Trenton’s remembrance ceremony every year since his retirement from the military in 1999.
Attendance at the ceremony is definitely growing each year, Gagnon said, attributing it to greater publicity around the event.
Here is QNet’s Kate Shumakova [5]‘s video report on the event: