Tavistock Legion’s Poppy Campaign in full swing with Remembrance Day ceremony booked for Sunday

By Lee Griffi

Poppies are available at several locations across Tavistock as Nov. 11 approaches.

The Legion’s Poppy Campaign chair, Mary Boland, said Remembrance Day will be celebrated on Sunday, Nov. 8.

“We have a service at Grace United Church at 10:30 a.m. A few of the Legion folks are coming and will be reading off the names on the honour roles from the other churches who came together to create Grace United.”

Ah honour role is a list of local men and women who died while serving in World War I, World War II, the Korean War or other conflicts. These lists are often displayed on cenotaphs, plaques, in Legion branches, schools or municipal buildings.

“Then at 1 p.m. we will be at the Legion where a wreath-laying service will take place. We have folks from the community and businesses, as well as MP Arpan Khanna, MPP Ernie Hardeman and Mayor Phil Schaefer.”

Also on hand will be Stratford resident Sharon Louttit who, during the pandemic, found a booklet about knitting during the First World War. The military provided patterns and asked members of the public to knit items for the men and women in the service.

“She taught herself how to knit and she made all of the items in the booklet. We will be displaying them during the service at the church as well as at the Legion. The Tavistock and District Historical Society will also be taking that display for a short time to the peopleCare long-term care home.”

While there are no Second World War veterans still alive in Tavistock, Nicholas Hendry went from growing up on the family dairy farm on the East Coast to his Royal Military College training, being a helicopter pilot, and serving our country during conflict overseas. He is now the president and co-owner of Stonecrest Engineering in Tavistock.

Hendry, whose military career ended in 2011, said his thoughts are with the soldiers killed and severely injured as the result of a grass fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

“I didn’t know anyone who passed away in that group but a lot of my friends are deployed to Latvia right now or just came back. My thoughts go out to the those affected by the recent events in Wainwright where the soldiers passed away during training, and to their families and those injured as well.”

He added he’s also thinking about the Canadian service men and women deployed in Latvia to ensure NATO is proving the necessary global security.   

On Saturday, Oct. 17, a fast-moving fire swept through part of the military training area at CFB Wainwright while Canadian soldiers were conducting live-fire exercises.

The incident resulted in four Canadian Armed Forces members killed, 39 people injured, including 19 who were critically injured. Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and Army Reserve members were involved.

According to military officials, the fire had initially appeared to be contained but spread rapidly following a sudden change in wind direction. Reports indicated it travelled approximately one kilometre in 36 seconds. Canadian soldiers involved in the Oct. 17 tragedy at CFB Wainwright were preparing for a deployment to Latvia as part of Canada's NATO mission.

Hendry offered a clear message to area residents – though the number of First and Second World War vets are scarce, the Canadian military remains actively involved in keeping the world safe.

“Just because we don’t have major armed conflicts Canada is currently involved in, we are doing things for the international community that are still providing security. Our community is very safe and I think sometimes we forget those things are happening on the global stage and that Canadian Forces are still vigilant and preparing. Sometimes that preparation can be dangerous.”

He added we can’t forget people are serving today and, in doing so are, “maintaining our comfort and security in Canada, but it still comes at a price.”