Brandon honours fallen, those in uniform

As silence fell over the arena and heads were bowed in respect, hundreds of Westman residents adorned with bright red poppies spent their Wednesday morning reflecting on the past and honouring Canadians in active service.

The annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Brandon was held at Assiniboine Credit Union Place inside the Keystone Centre and organized by Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 3.

This year marks the centennial celebration for the Royal Canadian Legion — which was recognized nationally in July — and next month marks the 100th anniversary of the Brandon legion branch.

Brandon legion past president Cindy Stumme, who was this year’s keynote speaker, said for her, “remembrance is personal.”

“It is about love, connection, gratitude and ensuring that those who served are never forgotten,” Stumme said to the roughly 500 attendees during her speech.

Stumme, a Brandon legion member since 2008, grew up on military bases across Canada with her grandfather, great-uncle, father and husband all having served.

Stumme’s keynote speech shared stories about her father’s 25 years of military service and the vivid memories she had watching soldiers return home.

“Each year, as Canadians place a poppy over their hearts, they make a small but meaningful gesture of remembrance,” she said.

“It is a powerful reminder that remembrance is not only about those who served … It’s about remembering those who never returned, honouring those who served and continue to serve, and acknowledging the families who stood behind them,” Stumme said.

“It is also about passing these stories on to the next generation because when stories stop being told, the personal connection begins to fade.”

While the symbolic poppy honours the sacrifice of fallen soldiers, it’s also used to fundraise, and all money collected goes “right back into the community,” said Fred Pritchard, branch president, in an interview after the ceremony.

Pritchard — who emceed the service — said the legion will support veterans with basic needs or emergency aid, provide scholarships and bursaries and offer financial assistance to veterans through the Poppy Trust Fund.

The ceremony brought together active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, cadets, legion members and community non-profits, with representatives laying wreaths for each organization.

Several local dignitaries also laid wreaths representing each level of government. Brandon West and Brandon East MLAs Wayne Balcaen and Glen Simard laid a wreath on behalf of the province and Brandon-Souris MP Grant Jackson placed one representing the Government of Canada.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett, who placed a wreath on behalf of the City of Brandon, said in an interview after the service that he believes Remembrance Day is a “living tradition.”

Fawcett said part of the importance of Remembrance Day is to remember the past but also to acknowledge that people are currently in service.

“A lot of these young people, they’re reflecting on the past, but they’re very aware of what’s going on today still,” he said.

“We reflect often on the world wars and the Korean War and such, but you know there’s people with spouses, parents, children who are active … like we have a large team in Latvia right now,” Fawcett said.

“It’s remembering the past and people that served and also remembering right now, today, the people that continue to serve.”

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com