A campaign that always hits close to home has renewed importance as it begins today in Belleville.
City workers were busy freshly repainting the Lest We Forget crosswalk that leads to the Veterans Monument and Veterans Memorial Bridge earlier this week.
Today, Mayor Neil Ellis and Legion President Mike Bensen will be in council chambers to present the first poppy for this year’s Poppy campaign.
The ultimate symbol of sacrifice and support for our veterans, they will be seen with increasing frequency as we approach Remembrance Day on November 11th.
Having been to countless ceremonies at local cenotaphs, I will be thinking of some Canadian soldiers from Alberta this year as I also pause to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Canada.
The risks when you put on the uniform aren’t limited to battles on foreign shores. As we learned last weekend at CFB Wainwright, it can flare up suddenly and with savage swiftness even when you think you are relatively safe.
Danger is sewn into the very fabric of the uniform. Every soldier knows that instinctively, yet still proudly wears it in defence of our nation, Canadians at home and abroad and our very way of life.
For those who died, and those who still serve today, I shall wear my poppy this year and every year. We remember your service. We honour your sacrifice and hopefully we also acknowledge the dangers you face every day.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
