It was a good, but physically distanced and mask-wearing crowd, at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph in Trenton Thursday.
Reverend Lynn Mitchell of the Anglican Churches of Quinte West delivered the message stressing the importance of remembering and reflecting on the sacrifices of so many Canadians, including 12,000 Indigenous soldiers, in both World Wars and several other conflicts in the past.
However Mitchell, in her address heard live on CJBQ radio, urged people to remember the past and current military members and emergency responders beyond just one day or season.
“Our remembering must go back with us to our homes and our neighbourhoods, our schools and places of work and community service, into the streets of our beloved city and beyond to endeavour to create a culture of peace and reconciliation, and it begins here.”
By spending time thinking about the fight for freedom year round she predicted a more positive culture evolving over time.
“… that our words and actions become the creative breath of generosity, compassion, and love. Breathing peace and life itself into the world in which we live and move and have our being.”
This November 11 marks the 100th anniversary of the poppy becoming the flower of remembrance.