Calgarians gathered at the Field of Crosses this morning to honour members of the Canadian Armed Forces who died on active duty serving Canada.
“It is here that over 3,700 crosses stand each year to acknowledge those men and women from southern Alberta who served in the Canadian Armed Forces and made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Master of Ceremonies Dallas Flexhaug during her opening remarks.
This year’s ceremony focused on the soldiers who died during the war in Afghanistan, as well as the four soldiers who died and the more than 30 who were injured during the fire at CFB Wainwright last month.
Members of Cantare Children’s Choir held up photos of the fallen soldiers during Roll Call later in the ceremony.
Field of Crosses founder Murray McCann recited the war poem “In Flanders Fields” written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae.
Calgary Police Service Staff Sergeant Jordan Nolan led the Act of Remembrance.
Bugler Captain Charles Mallett performed “Last Post” to mark the start of the two minutes of silence. Afterwards, piper Owen Bonnar performed the traditional lament “Flowers of the Forest,” followed immediately by Captain Mallett’s rendition of “Rouse” to mark the end of the moment of silence.
“Let us ensure that the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice live on in our actions and in our words as we carry the light of remembrance into the future,” said Flexhaug before Calgary Fire Department Pipes and Drums played a tune to conclude the ceremony.
Today’s event was the culmination of 10 days and nights of ceremonies leading up to Remembrance Day. The Field of Crosses holds smaller ceremonies at dawn and dusk each day honouring different members of our fallen from Nov. 1 to Nov. 10.
This year marked the Field of Crosses’ 18th annual Remembrance Day ceremony, continuing a tradition that began in 2009
In photos: Remembrance Day at Calgary’s Field of Crosses
