'We Will Remember Them': About 100 Gather for Remembrance Day Service

Snow and a bitterly cold wind did not deter roughly 100 Estevan residents from lining the streets and sidewalks in front of the cenotaph for a Remembrance Day ceremony on Thursday morning.

The service was held outside for the second year in a row due to restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Onlookers lined up on the sidewalk along 4th Street.

"It's nice to see everybody come out for Remembrance Day again," said military historian Craig Bird. "Unfortunately we were not able to have it indoors as we had planned due to COVID, but it's kind of nice to do it outside. The weather could have been a little bit better, but it's good to see everybody out."

"Especially when you can actually come out to the cenotaph and pay your respects, and I think it's a little bit more meaningful when we're able to do that."

The ceremony included the playing of O Canada, a rendition of God Save the Queen, a reading of In Flanders Fields, and of course a moment of silence. The Canadian flag was also lowered to half-mast.

MLA Lori Carr, Mayor Roy Ludwig, and members of the Estevan Police Service including Police Chief Rich Lowen all attended the ceremony and all put down wreaths in front of the cenotaph near the end of the service.

Mayor Roy Ludwig sets a wreath down in front of the cenotaph.

Others then had the opportunity to attach poppies to the wreaths.

A woman attaches a poppy to one of the wreaths.

Bird encouraged people to visit the South East Military Museum, both at the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and the secondary site just north of the city, to learn more about the military history in Saskatchewan.

"If you want to see some artefacts, and learn some stories about some of our local veterans, and some of the local military history, come out and do that this afternoon," he said.

The museum will be open on Remembrance Day, beginning at 1 p.m.

The military banners around Estevan will stay up until the city starts putting its Christmas decorations up, and then the banners will go up again next fall.