Sooke’s Remembrance Day service will be held virtually again this year because of lingering uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, says the local president of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Richard Steele says the ceremony, attended by a small honour guard and a few legion executive team members, will be live-streamed on the legion’s Facebook page. He adds some technical adjustments will be made to improve the quality of the broadcast.
Residents are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. and are discouraged from attending the cenotaph on the day of the ceremony.
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Selling for the poppy campaign starts on Friday, with the first poppies presented to Mayor Maja Tait and T’Sou-ke Nation Chief Gordon Planes.
Steele said while there has been some controversy in recent years about commemorating Remembrance Day (Nov. 11), it’s still important for people to come together for the day.
“The day is very important, not only to veterans but to the country itself, in the sense of that, how many people we lost during the wars that were out there,” he said. “We’re not advocating war, but we’re advocating remembering those that did give the greatest sacrifice.”
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