St. Albert will not play host to a Remembrance Day parade this November – a historic first brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But local veterans say they will still be out in force next month to honour the fallen, and have called on all Canadians to wear their poppies with pride.
St. Albert Royal Canadian Legion president Doug Delorme confirmed this week that there would be no Remembrance Day parade in St. Albert this Nov. 11 due to safety concerns raised by the pandemic.
“We’ve never had to cancel a parade in St. Albert,” he said, not since the local Legion opened its doors in 1957.
Hundreds of city residents typically pack St. Anne Street each Nov. 11 to witness the Remembrance Day parade and ceremony.
Delorme said this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph by St. Albert Place would basically be a private affair limited to veterans and dignitaries, although there would still be the traditional display of restored military vehicles. He asked anyone not in the ceremony to avoid the cenotaph area until the event wraps up shortly past 11 a.m.
“I know the public here in St. Albert has been very supportive of the idea of remembrance and attending Remembrance Day services, but we’re asking the public to stay away this year.”
City of St. Albert spokesperson Debra Clark said in an email that the city is looking into hosting a livestream of this year’s ceremony.
Morinville Legion president Kelvin Kuzyk said his branch had also cancelled this year’s parade, and would be limiting its ceremony at the town’s cenotaph to invited guests only.
No Stone is a go, kind of
Legion member Robert Fagan said he and a small group of veterans would hold this year’s No Stone Left Alone tribute at the St. Albert Cemetery on Poundmaker Road on Nov. 5 at about 10:45 a.m. The event is part of a national initiative that sees students learn about fallen soldiers by placing poppies on their graves.
Whereas the veterans would normally be assisted by hundreds of W.D. Cuts students, Fagan said the team would go it alone this year, as COVID-19 health restrictions made such a gathering impossible. He invited members of the public to come out and watch if they liked.
Officials at Bertha Kennedy Catholic said they were unsure if their students would hold their typical No Stone Left Alone event at the Mission Hill cemetery this November.
Edmonton’s No Stone Left Alone ceremony would be livestreamed at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at nostoneleftalone.ca.
Poppies available
The pandemic had also put a squeeze on the Legion’s usual poppy campaign, Delorme said.
While he had ordered his usual 60,000-some poppies to distribute this fall, Delorme said he didn’t expect them to be available in as many spots as usual, as many businesses lack the counter space for the trays due to those now-ubiquitous Plexiglas barriers.
Delorme said Legion volunteers would be out wearing masks and gloves to distribute poppies at Costco, Canadian Tire and St. Albert Centre starting Oct. 30. Mayor Cathy Heron would be presented with the city’s first poppy at St. Albert Place at 10 a.m. that day.
Morinville Mayor Barry Turner was to receive his town’s official first poppy at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Kuzyk said. Expect to see poppy trays at about 15 area businesses and Legion volunteers at places such as No Frills.
Delorme said the St. Albert Legion collected some $79,000 through last year’s poppy campaign, and expects that to drop to about $50,000 this year due to the pandemic. The poppy drive is the Legion’s main fundraiser, and every cent collected goes directly to support local veterans.
“The more money we have, the more we can help veterans and their families,” Delorme said.
Delorme encouraged all residents to wear a poppy on Nov. 11 to honour Canadians who had been lost to war.
"This year, more than any other year, wearing that symbol of remembrance is important."
