Recent events in Montreal and Ottawa aren’t putting a damper on Remembrance Day ceremonies in Burnaby next week.
Concerns for the safety of veterans and military personnel have been top of mind across the country since the tragic shooting death of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Oct. 22, but Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Maj John Buis wouldn’t comment on whether there would be any extra security measures during the city’s ceremonies next week.
“We are aware of all the recent incidents. However, we don’t discuss security,” he told the NOW, “for obvious reasons.”
In spite of these concerns, Buis believes the recent events in Ontario and Quebec will lead to a larger turnout at Remembrance Day ceremonies.
“What I’m seeing now, with the added interest, there will be quite a few people, both veterans, serving members of the armed forces, as well as members of the RCMP there,” he added.
About 1,200 Burnaby residents enlisted in the First World War and about 1,800 in the Second World War, according to the Burnaby’s Honour Roll program.
Buis is among a dozen or so Burnaby RCMP officers who have served in United Nations peacekeeping missions overseas. Other officers have travelled to war zones as volunteers with the RCMP’s police mentoring program and some served in the armed forces before becoming a Mountie.
The City of Burnaby and the Royal Canadian Legion branches #148 and #83 are hosting two Remembrance Day ceremonies, one in South Burnaby at Bonsor Park and a second in North Burnaby at Confederation Park. Both ceremonies start at 11 a.m. and are preceded by parades from the Safeway parking lot (North Burnaby on Hastings Street near Willingdon Avenue) and Royal Canadian Legion branch #83 (South Burnaby).
As long as the weather holds out, Buis hopes this will be one of the largest turnouts for Remembrance Day in recent memory.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people wearing poppies,” he added. “I think all Canadians are concerned and they’re going to show their support for the armed forces by coming out to Remembrance Day services.”
