Remembrance Day ceremony at Vimy Ridge Memorial Park

More than 100 people gathered at Winnipeg’s Vimy Ridge Memorial Park on Remembrance Day Saturday to pay tribute to Canadian Armed Forces members who have died in the line of duty.

Retired members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were present as well as current members. Some veterans were clearly emotional during the ceremony.

It began with an old Cree warrior song, translated into English and led by Robert-Falcon Ouellette. The former member of Parliament is also a veteran currently still serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.

Retired MCpl. Jeffrey Paul Marynuk – who served 37 years – comes to the memorial park every year as it holds the Royal Winnipeg Rifles regimental monument. His name is inscribed on the monument along with his grandfather’s.

“I have my name in concrete like many of us do,” he told CityNews.

“We have to (show support to veterans). We’re proud soldiers and it’s a hard job.”

Retired Lt. Col. John Robins, who served with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles for 35 years, says his thoughts went to fellow soldiers during the ceremony – the ones who served in both world wars, the war in Afghanistan, and the ones who never made it home.

“I think of the airmen flying in flimsy aircraft, or on bombing missions over Europe,” he said. “I think of the sailors who are sailing the North Atlantic protecting convoys, trying to get supplies to Great Britain. And I think of soldiers living in water-filled trenches, suffering artillery bombardments.

“I also remember our more recent soldiers who were fighting in the heat of Afghanistan on the deserts, putting up with IEDs and the Taliban. We’ve got to remember them.”

Robins says Remembrance Day ceremonies are about honouring those who gave themselves for a cause.

“I was proud to do what little I could when I went to Afghanistan and to Bosnia,” he said. “Proud to represent the country and happy to (do what) little I could to help the people there.

“We’re not here to honour guys like me who are merely veterans. We’re here to honour people that have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Diminishing crowds, says veteran

Robins says he sees numbers dwindling at the ceremonies each year.

“We had huge crowds of people,” he recalled. “And we had a good crowd today, but they’re getting less.

“Those who have died for us deserve to be remembered.”

Robins hopes Canadians continue to join armed forces members on Remembrance Day in paying tribute to those who gave their lives for freedom – no matter how long ago the battles were.

“I predict as time goes by and as Afghanistan gets further behind us, that we’re going to see less and less people all the time and it is not right,” said Robins.

Robins says one place to start is by reminding younger generations of Canadians about the significance of wearing poppies in November.

“We need to make it known to people that this is a symbol by which we honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, that have given us the freedom to do the things that we can do today,” he said.

Both Robins and Marynuk say they’ll continue attending ceremonies at Vimy Ridge Memorial Park every year to be with their fellow soldiers at their monument.