On behalf of the Municipality of North Grenville and Members of Council, we join with residents to mark the solemn occasion of Remembrance Day.
Each year on this day, we pause to remember the brave Canadians in uniform who served, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country during the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, members of the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations and most recently, Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.
We honour all those who risked their lives for our freedom and those we lost in service of their country.
As well, we extend eternal gratitude to the service men and women who returned from armed conflict and peacekeeping missions, some with physical and emotional scars. We also honour their families who have borne the burden for many of those scars, and sacrificed time with their loved ones in the name of our country.
Earlier this week, the Municipality lowered its flags for Indigenous Veterans Day, to honour the contributions and sacrifices made by First Nations, Inuit and Metis in service to Canada, service which has gone unmarked and uncelebrated by most Canadians for far too long.
For so many of us in North Grenville, we have had the great fortune to have never experienced war first-hand. Yet, there are people who have fled war in their homelands for the promise of a better life for their families and have found peace in our nation and our community, including those from Ukraine. Let us ensure we take the time to welcome all refugees and provide the support they need during a difficult transition as they seek to live a life free of conflict and war.
On the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour, residents across Canada gather together to remember those who gave their lives in service of their country.
The Municipality of North Grenville has joined others within our community in placing a wreath at the Cenotaph in Old Town Kemptville as a symbol of respect and remembrance. Municipal flags will also fly at half-mast.
At 11 am on November 11, I encourage everyone to observe one minute of silence, and take the time to remember those who have fought for us and our country. Let us pay our respects and express our gratitude for helping to make Canada the prosperous, free, and secure country we enjoy.
Lest We Forget.
