Pte. William McCann Walker, a Wetaskiwin resident and WWII veteran who served from 1943-46, was in attendance at Saturday's Flags of Remembrance ceremony in Sylvan Lake to be honoured with a plaque and flag. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

lest we forget

Solemn ceremony in Sylvan Lake keeping remembrance a priority

Sep 21, 2019 | 3:20 PM

From the Boer War to modern day conflicts in Afghanistan, to the streets where first responders risk their lives daily, Canada has lost approximately 128,000 of its finest citizens.

Those lives, as well as the sacrifices of some of those still with us, were honoured on Saturday at the annual Flags of Remembrance ceremony in Sylvan Lake.

For a sixth year, 128 flags were unfurled along the lakeshore, as well as on Hwy 11. Simultaneous ceremonies were also held in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Windsor, Ontario. In Sylvan Lake, a Silver Cross Mother, and a Korean War vet each addressed the large crowd that had gathered.

Veterans Voices of Canada founder Al Cameron, who lives in Sylvan, spoke about how far the program has come, and why it’s important to him that the remembrance season is extended beyond one day in November.

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“I’d hoped this was going to happen and I saw it, but at the same time, it’s kind of unbelievable,” he remarked. “I’m so proud of this, I’m so proud of the military, the first responders who do what they do; they put their lives on the line, and they did some amazing things to keep us a free country. I think the least we can do is keep paying tribute and honour to them.”

Over the course of its existence, Flags of Remembrance has fluctuated in terms of the number of communities it has been done in. Cameron says they plan to move back to 10+ in 2020.

128 flags were unfurled along the shore of Sylvan Lake Saturday as part of the 2019 Flags of Remembrance ceremony. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Among those in attendance on Saturday were a number of WWII veterans, including Pte. William McCann Walker, RCA, Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The 95-year-old, who has lived in the Wetaskiwin area for most of his life, served overseas from 1943-46.

“It’s really amazing to me that they hold this ceremony. It’s just a real honour to come down and attend. I put this tunic on; it’s been on the shelf for 73 years now, and I thought it probably deserves to get out and be shown again too,” Walker quipped.

“It’s always important to remember. I guess what was given for our freedom was really — without the standing up for freedom, this country could be under a dictatorship or anything now.”

Asked what he remembered most about the end of the war, Walker recalled the elation of all who were there, but especially the joy of those who had been occupied by Nazi Germany.

More information about VVC and Flags of Remembrance is at VetVoiceCan.org.