THUNDER BAY – Ken Cannon’s half brother Gary Forbes was just 23-years-old when he lost his life 1943, fighting for his country in the Second World War.
Cannon was just 12 years old at the time.
Despite the close loss, he’d go on the spend 27 years in the Canadian army and on Saturday was one of several veterans on hand for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Waverley Park cenotaph.
Seeing such a large crowd gathered to pay tribute to Canada’s military veterans was very gratifying indeed, the 86-year-old Cannon said.
“The more the younger people realize what has happened, the better,” said Cannon, whose father served with the Royal Air Force during the First World War.
It’s a family tradition, he said.
“We have a bit of a military history and I appreciate what the soldiers do,” said Cannon, who still gets emotional when he thinks about his brother’s sacrifice for his nation.
Robert Cutbush, vice-president of the Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario provincial command of the Royal Canadian Legion, said it was heartwarming to see hundreds of people gathering on Saturday to take part in the annual ceremony honouring the country’s military personnel.
“It was a great turnout today, even with a little bit of the white stuff we got. It was actually a nice touch with the snow. We had to scramble a little bit to make the walkway safe, but we made it,” Cutbush said.
“We pulled it off.”
The ceremony began with the parade of the colour guard, followed in suit by active members of Canada’s military, cadets and local police officers.
An Indigenous group sang an opening song, then the laying of the wreaths began at the cenotaph, led by Silver Cross Mother Carol Klukie, whose son Josh was killed 11 years ago in Afghanistan.
The morning ended with the recital of the Lord’s Prayer, a flyover by four small planes and the playing of Taps, which also included a pair of rifle salutes that cracked through the silence of the solemn ceremony.
Among those laying wreaths was long-time Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle, the son of well-known veteran soldier Eddie Gravelle.
It’s always a day of reflection, he said.
“I always think about my father on Remembrance Day. My father was a World War Two veteran, wounded three times in action,” Gravelle said.
“I learned at a very, very young age how important Remembrance Day is, honouring our veterans and certainly honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. So every year this is an important day for me.”
