in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 11 ,2 02 1 | 26 A DAyOf RemembRAnce OPEN DAILY 9-5pm Come visit us to give your vehicle the finest treatment available! 2380 Royal Windsor Drive (905)823-1000 | Mississauga https://carprideautospa.com TM On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 2018, 100 years had passed since the signing of the Armistice marking the end of the "Great War" in Europe. The Bomb Craters Of The Battlefi eld At Vimy France WW1 P ho to s V et er an s A � a irs C an ad a, w w w .ve te ra ns .g c.c a 2021RemembranceDAYLEST WE FORGETRemembranceLEST WE FORGETRemembrance While the numbers of Canadian veterans who served during past wars like the Second World War and the Korean War dwindle, more have been steadily added to those ranks from subsequent conflicts as time goes on. Each person's experience in the service is unique, which is why Al Cameron from Alberta founded Veterans Voices of Canada - so that he could travel coast to coast and document the stories of veterans. As part of this initiative, Cameron also started Flags of Remembrance, where host communities raise 128 full sized Canadian flags, to represent the 128,000 Canadian military and RCMP members who have been killed and missing in action from the Boer War to present day. The flags also honour emergency first responders. This year, Dunnville will be one of two host communities in Ontario, the other being Windsor. Brent O'Connor pulled together the local team to work on the project. "It's giving awareness to our community and giving respect and honour to our veterans and first responders, " he said. There's one more group that will be honoured through the flags. "This is the first year we will have an Indigenous flag up, " O'Connor said. This will be to acknowl- edge the many Indigenous people who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces and as first responders. "This is the first year their contribution is going to be recognized, and I think it's extremely important." O ' C o n n o r noted that Haldimand and Glanbrook have a strong con- nection to the Canadian Armed Forces. Dunnville and Mount Hope hosted flight schools during the Second World War, and there was a bombing and gunnery school in Jarvis. Larry Brodie, a Navy veteran, has a personal connection to Cameron that made him want to get involved. "Al interviewed my grandfather for a book he's writing, " Brodie said. Not only that, but Brodie also feels it's impor- tant to have ongoing support in place for veterans. "We have a lot of veterans coming back who really need a lot of help." Steve Almas, a veteran from the Canadian Armed Forces, agrees. "I thought this was a worthy cause, " he said. "I wanted to get involved and help out." The final member of the team is Debbie Vander Heide, who was asked by O'Connor to join. "It's for veterans; how can you not? If not for them, we wouldn't be here, " she said. All donations to the initiative are welcome, from individuals, community groups, businesses, etc. As this is the first year, there will be some over- head costs to purchase the flagpoles, which will be reused annually going forward. For a minimum $250 donation, the donor can specify the name of the individual, Armed Forces or first responder group they are honouring; this will be put on a maple leaf shaped plaque that will be attached to the flagpole, which will be in Wingfield Park from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12, 2021. There will be opening and closing ceremonies those days, which will be open to the public, and all donors will be encouraged to attend. When the flagpoles are removed in November, the donor will be given the plaque and the flag, folded. - The Sachem, June 2021 Flags of Remembrance There will be 128 flags flying in Wingfield Park, Dunnville from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12. Afterwards, the flags will be folded and they, along with the commemorative plaques, will be gifted to the sponsorship donors.