Royal Regina Rifles commemorate Remembrance Day at provincial war memorial

REGINA -

The Royal Regina Rifles observed Remembrance Day at the Saskatchewan War Memorial Thursday, instead of attending the usual service at the Brandt Centre, which was cancelled because of COVID-19.

It was the first time the Rifles have come to the memorial in Wascana Park take part in a regimental Remembrance Day service.

Lt.-Col. Kyle Clapperton, commanding officer of the Royal Regina Rifles, said the memorial has special meaning to the regiment.

The statue of the World War I soldier pays tribute to the 28th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force, said Clapperton, which is an antecedent unit of the Royal Regina Rifles.

“We perpetuate their lineage, their battle honours, their heritage and history,” he said.

The provincial memorial pays tribute to Saskatchewan soldiers who have fallen during various conflicts in the last century. Clapperton said it is important for soldiers and civilians alike to take the time to remember the fallen.

“Remembrance Day is not just for us in the Canadian Armed Forces, it is for all Canadians to honour, reflect and remember those that came before us,” he said.

“We live in a wonderful country because of their service and sacrifice.” 

A second ceremony was held at the Cenotaph in Victoria Park. Several hundred people were present for the moment of silence at 11:00 a.m.

Rev. James Balfour, a retired lieutenant commander in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and now chaplain of Branch 001 of the Royal Canadian Legion, was impressed by the ceremony.

"It was a really wonderful turnout today," he said. "It was heartening to see that this still matters and means something to people."

He felt this year’s ceremony was a bit more important due to who was in attendance.

“One of the things that made today’s ceremony so much more poignant was the presence of all of the members of the Canadian military,” he said. “The nurses that are here in Saskatchewan in the midst of the pandemic.”

Both ceremonies in Regina were attended by a large number of families with young children, which gives Gordan Basaraba, vice president of the Navy League a lot of hope for the future.

“I’m glad to see that families are coming out to the services and that kind of thing,” he said. “I think it’s really important for our young people to understand the sacrifices that were made by the other generations of people that have passed away and are gone now.”

Balfour agrees with this sentiment.

“I think it’s important that we make sure that part of the remembrance is an understanding of our history and understanding the mistakes and understanding the sacrifices of history,” he said. “That old quote, ‘If you do not remember your history, you’re doomed to repeat it.’ Is relevant to every day and age.”