Manitobans participated in a shared moment of silence during the province’s largest Remembrance Day event on Tuesday morning.
“As we come together to pay tribute to the courageous men and women who served and made sacrifices for our nation, we take a moment to acknowledge those who are absent, those who never made it back home,” remarked master of ceremonies Capt. Mary-Anne Saciuk at the Joint Veterans’ Association ceremony held at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg, standing beside an empty chair that represented military personnel who lost their lives in service.
This year’s ceremony commemorated the 80th anniversary of VE-Day — the day Germany surrendered to Allied forces in May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe — and VJ-Day, the official conclusion of conflict in Japan in August of the same year.
Capt. Saciuk highlighted that over 1 million Canadians and Newfoundlanders (with Newfoundland joining Canada in 1949) participated in the Second World War, with more than 45,000 losing their lives.
Starting at 10:40 a.m., the ceremony at the convention centre, which typically attracts over 5,000 participants annually, commenced with Capt. Angela Brass bringing the Indigenous Veterans of Manitoba’s eagle staff to the stage to honor Indigenous veterans and service members.
Capt. Angela Brass carried the eagle staff to the stage to honour Indigenous service members and veterans during Tuesday’s ceremony. (CBC)
Brass, a member of the Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation and a 29-year military veteran, shared with CBC News that this was the first time the eagle staff has been featured in a parade.
“It was a great honor to represent all my fallen relatives and those who are still serving in the Canadian Armed Forces,” Brass stated, noting that the staff serves as a recognition of truth and reconciliation within the military.
At 11 a.m., the filled auditorium observed a moment of silence accompanied by the playing of The Last Post and Reveille.
For over a century, Canadians have taken a minute of silence on November 11, commemorating the armistice that concluded the First World War at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
Winnipeggers gathered at the RBC Convention Centre for Manitoba’s largest Remembrance Day ceremony on Tuesday. (Darin Morash /CBC)
During the ceremony on Tuesday, dignitaries such as Premier Wab Kinew and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham placed wreaths at the base of a cross.
Veteran Dave McLaughlin, who attended the Winnipeg event, enlisted in the military in 1973 and spent 18 years at sea, including two tours in the Middle East and seven deployments with NATO.
He expressed his remembrance of the numerous Canadian service members who perished in various conflicts.
“Freedom is not free. It often comes at the cost of lives,” McLaughlin remarked.
Throughout the event, master of ceremonies Saciuk and other speakers expressed gratitude towards veterans and current service members for their dedication.
Manitobans held a collective moment of silence during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
“To our veterans, we offer a sincere yet profoundly meaningful message: Thank you,” Saciuk stated. “We appreciate your steadfast service, whether in peaceful times or during warfare.”
“Your commitment and sacrifices have not gone unnoticed.”
Winnipeggers gather Tuesday for a Remembrance Day service at the RBC Convention Centre.