Maritimers gathered across the region Wednesday for Remembrance Day services. Marches and ceremonies were planned to honour Canadians who served and died defending the country. A gathering was held at Grand Parade in downtown Halifax and at legions and cenotaphs across the municipality. Halifax also saw a gathering dedicated to those who served and lost their lives in the Korean War, historically referred to as ‘Canada’s Forgotten War.’ Around 500 people were in attendance inside and outside the JA Snow Funeral Home in the Clayton Park area. For the families of those who served in the Korean War, the significant turnout meant a lot. The service was livestreamed at the Korean War Veterans Memorial Garden. It began with a standing crowd as veterans, those currently serving in the military, and emergency responders marched down the aisle to their seats. The Nova Scotia Korean Children’s Choir performed, and children and grandchildren of the veterans read poems and stories. ‘Honoured to be here’ Remembrance Day events were also scheduled throughout New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, including the TD Station in Saint John and the cenotaph in Charlottetown. Retired Master Cpl. Gordon Hurley was one of around 3,000 people to attend the annual ceremony at the Moncton Coliseum. Hurley spent 15 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and served in Afghanistan. “If we don’t show up as veterans, especially as a younger veteran, then we’re not doing service to the military or to any other veteran,” said Hurley. “It is super (heart) warming to see the cadets, the amount of cadets that showed up and the multiculturalism in the cadets.” Sisters Daniella, 14, and Chioma Chizoba-Okafor, 17, came to Canada from Nigeria with their family in 2019. They’ve both been members of the Air Cadets for four years and have participated in the ceremony at the Coliseum before. “I felt honoured to be here,” said Chioma. “So many people have sacrificed themselves in order for me to be able to come here. “Looking in at ceremonies from TV or maybe just driving past one, I can really see how people find this an important thing. The moment I was finally involved in all of this, it felt like a really important thing to be a part of and I appreciate that I’ve been allowed to be part of this.” It was also a special day for Zoe Levesque, an Army cadet who is following her father’s footsteps into the military. Retired Cpl. Pascal Levesque spent more than seven years in the Air Force. “I’m extremely proud of her. It warms my heart to see her all dressed up in a military uniform. It’s a great feeling as a dad,” said Pascal. “It’s my first parade as a cadet,” said Zoe. “My family tree has a lot of people in the army. My great-grandfather was in the Second World War and I wanted to continue that line of military service.” Other events Services were held in dozens of smaller communities across the Maritimes. The Remembrance Day ceremony in Oromocto, N.B., included flyovers of helicopters from nearby CFB Gagetown, which is the second-largest military base in Canada and the largest military facility in Eastern Canada. The Oromocto ceremony brought out more than 2,000 people and included special mention of the CFB Wainwright tragedy in Alberta on Oct. 17 that killed four soldiers and injured 39. “The tragedy that happened in Wainwright tocuhes every one of us from the east coast to the west coast, nationwide,” said Dawn Lustig, president of Oromocto Legion Branch 93. Click here for a photo gallery of Remembrance Day ceremonies across the Maritimes. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett and Nick Moore
