Hundreds of onlookers observe Remembrance Day in Windsor
Tears welled in the eyes of siblings Mona and Darrell Munro as they stood in front of the cenotaph.
They travelled to the Remembrance Day ceremony in Windsor from Halifax to lay a wreath on behalf of their late father and grandfather, both of whom served in major conflicts.
“It was on behalf of both of them, our dad and his father. It was kind of special today because of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice,” said Darrell following the ceremony.
“Our grandfather fought in the Spanish-American War, the Boer War, the First World War, and our dad fought in the Second World War.”
The siblings used to bring their father to the Remembrance Day ceremony in Windsor every year. He lived in Bedford at the time but was from Windsor and it was important for them to make the trip up.
It still is.
“He would come up here every year, see some of his friends, and I always go to the services for the veterans,” he said. “I bring my son now with me, so we’re continuing that tradition.”
Darrell commented on how wonderful the Windsor ceremony is, noting that despite the cold and the wind, hundreds of people came out to watch and honour those who served.
Before he passed away, Darrell also took his father, John Munro, to the U.K. and France to see some of the places he served during the Second World War.
Mona, who is a teacher in Halifax, said she tries to impart the importance of Remembrance Day on her students.
“I thought the world of my father,” Mona said. “I was very much so his little girl, even though I stood about a foot taller than him by the end.”
“Today is a special day and I like to think of him and remember him,” she said. “It’s sad because I miss him now.”
Steffanie Melanson came from the Weymouth area to wish her sister Cassandra Atkins well, who was marching in the parade, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force out of CFB Greenwood.
“It was important to come, especially this year because of the 100th anniversary of the end of the (First World War),” she said. “You have to remember your past because you can’t look to the future without understanding your history.”
Paula Lunn Greene, master of ceremonies for the Windsor event, said she was honoured to be a part of it. Her partner, Rick Folker, was also the parade commander.
“The ceremony went very well, despite it being very cool and uncomfortable,” Lunn Greene said. “What kept going through my mind though is how uncomfortable it would have been for those who were serving overseas.”
“Seeing the number of people who came out today was astounding, I’m very proud of this area.”
Editor’s note: We would like to thank Allie Saltzman, an Avon View High School student, for helping with the coverage of this ceremony as part of the school’s O2 program.