‘The most important thing is people wearing a poppy’: Your Port Hope Remembrance Day rundown
By editor/reporter Sarah Hyatt
With plans for a helicopter landing, the unveiling of a new veteran’s crosswalk, traditional services and more, Port Hope has quite the agenda lined up to ensure those who made the ultimate sacrifice are honoured this Remembrance Day.
Sarah Clayton, poppy chair and public relations officer with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 30 in Port Hope, said work through the legion’s poppy campaign and remembrance planning committee started back in mid-August.
And a lot of volunteers and legion members have been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to co-ordinate events.
Those like Clayton are hoping the community answers the call to mark Remembrance Day through several events leading up to and then on next Wednesday, Nov. 11 with traditional observances.
“But of course, the most important thing is people wearing a poppy,” she was quick to add. “I mean, it’s a visual pledge to always remember – it’s the ultimate symbol of sacrifice.
“We don’t care how much you donate,” continued Clayton, explaining while donation boxes are out there and those donations do make a difference in the community, the poppies are free.
Clayton said the show of support means a lot to those who have served and sacrificed, those who continue to serve and their families.
The Port Hope legion’s poppy campaign officially kicked off on Oct. 24 and continues through to next Wednesday.
Funds raised during the campaign go into the Poppy Trust Fund, which Clayton noted strictly follows legion bylaws, with monies going directly to help veterans and their families, and related supports. In the past, she said they’ve built wheelchair ramps at homes and helped with additional special equipment or healthcare needs, as well as initiatives such as the “Leave the Streets Behind” program that provides support to veterans experiencing homelessness or “Operation Service Dogs,” to name just a few examples.
“We also contribute, of course, to our youth education programs, so every year we do the poster and literary contests in all of our schools. We do that in eight schools and that’s really important to make sure that the future remembers as well.”
The legion also works closely to support the 116 Skeena Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps. – and youth help the legion, too. Residents may have noticed youth helping to distribute poppies at grocery stores and the like recently, and the cadets also participate in Nov. 11 ceremonies.
And when it comes to engaging the younger generation, there’s also the Ganaraska Trails march and colour parade event today (Friday, Nov. 6) at 10 a.m.
The Kindergarten students at Ganaraska Trail Public School make poppies and march with the legion’s colour party and behind a piper to the Veteran’s Plot at Union Cemetery for a ceremony, explained Clayton, noting police will also block off the road. The kids then place their poppies on the veterans’ graves, she said.
On Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., the Port Hope Panthers will host a “Salute to Veterans” ceremony at the Jack Burger Sports Complex, which will also feature a piper, music, live singers for O’Canada, the colour party and veteran Vincent O’Hanley – who also serves as sergeant-at-arms and is an air force captain – taking part in a ceremonial puck drop. (The doors will open at 6:30 p.m.)
Legion members will be handing out poppies. Players will sport poppy stickers on their helmets.
On Sunday, there will be a Remembrance Day service at Port Hope United Church led by Rev. Kevin Moore at 10:30 a.m. that the legion is also participating in.
Then Wednesday marks the big day with traditional services at Port Hope and Canton cenotaphs.
On Nov. 11, legion members will gather near the Capitol Theatre at 10:25 a.m. to march down Queen Street to the Memorial Park Cenotaph for the service starting at 10:30 a.m.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces’ 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron from Petawawa are also set to attend and join the parade, with this team flying into Port Hope on the CH-147F Chinook helicopter estimated to land at the 74 Queen St. parking lot for the day between 9 and 9:30 a.m. The helicopter is expected to depart later in the day at about 3 p.m. – all this mission and weather permitting. (People are being asked to obey traffic control personnel and stay about 75 metres back from the landing zone.)
After the Memorial Park ceremony, there will be an official unveiling and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new crosswalk on Augusta Street at about 11:15 a.m. Augusta Street was shut down earlier this week to facilitate installation of the crosswalk, which is a collaborative project with the legion and municipality that council approved back in July.
“The crosswalk is intended to honour local veterans and serve as a lasting tribute to their service and sacrifice,” added the municipality.
Later in the day, the ceremony at the Canton Cenotaph is set for 2 p.m. And to conclude the day, Branch 30 will host its remembrance dinner and ceremony at the Port Hope Lions Recreation Centre at 5 p.m. (At press deadline, tickets were going “fast” for the dinner.)
All are encouraged to take part in Remembrance Day events.
In the meantime, residents can find poppy boxes in local stores, and the campaign continues, along with work on commemorative wreaths (more than 70 at press deadline) and ribbons. Clayton noted this year there are partnerships with close to 100 businesses to support the poppy campaign, as well as community organizations, area schools, and more.
Poppies continue to be distributed by volunteers and through community partnerships.
There will be road closures and parking impacts next Wednesday to accommodate services.
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