Orillia Remembers
By John Swartz
This year’s Remembrance Day ceremony at Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital was different. It wasn’t cold and there was no snow blowing or on the ground. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 34 organized this first since 2020 public observance.
It was slimmed down. Chuck Penny, the Master of Ceremony, said a significant number of wreaths to be laid were done so prior to the Legion Pipes and Drums marching in, which eliminated about a half an hour from the ceremony. The Branch 34 Pipes and Drums marched only themselves and a handful of veterans in – armed service members, cadets and OPP Honour Guard were already in place.
In the past mayors of surrounding townships, our MP, and MPP would be on hand to lay wreaths, but this year only Mayor Steve Clarke and Chippewas of Rama Chief Ted Williams participated.
None of this stopped hundreds of people from gathering to pay respect to the fallen. Rev. Terry Bennett’s address this year focused on reminding those gathered of the thousands of women who also served in both World Wars, and t he tens of thousands of women who took the places of men in the factories, who were serving in the military, to make the machinery and supplies of war.
(Photo and Video by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
