Record crowds attended local Remembrance Day ceremonies to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who came home.
Elora Royal Canadian Legion Branch 229 Comrade Lynn McClellan said “we as proud Canadians are not only gathered here at the cenotaph in Elora, but at cenotaphs across Canada from coast to coast to coast. We gather not only to remember the sacrifices made to guarantee our freedoms, but those who serve today as well.”
Emily Oakes spoke to those gathered.
“As Canadians, we are so fortunate to experience this peace and freedom in our daily lives because of the sacrifices of our Canadian soldiers throughout history.”
She asked those attending to look up at the cenotaph and see names they recognize.
“One of the men memorialized on the cenotaph here is F. Keith Clark,” she said.
Born in May 1897, Clark enlisted in 1915 with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces as did many young Canadian men. Clark fought in the Somme with the 54th Battalion.
“Starting in July, it was a bloodbath that lasted until November.”
In October, Clark was wounded in the face and returned to the front lines on Nov. 2 and on the final day of the battle, Nov. 18, 1916, he was killed in action.
Oakes described her opportunity this past summer to travel to Europe and follow in the footsteps of the Canadian troops of both world wars through the Vimy Foundation’s Beaverbrook Vimy prize program.
“Standing on the Somme battleground where Keith Clark died, I saw wheat fields speckled with poppies, the dips and holes in the ground still scarring the landscape from First World War artillery shells.”
Oakes visited many of the cemeteries which still dot the French countryside.
“The most moving place I went to was the Vimy Ridge Memorial.”
“Last August as I slowly walked up to the memorial, I saw the two soaring stone pillars which represent Canada and France.”
As she continued around the towering pillars, a statue draped in robes caught her attention.
“I stopped and peered around Mother Canada’s elbow where she forever stands sentinel over the ridge.”
“It was there that Canada was born in a hail of bullets nearly a century ago.”
Oakes said sorrow is evident in the statue’s face as she mourns her lost sons.
“When I looked down the slope I could imagine the men marching forward to their fates in their muddy uniforms and metal helmets. I could see the grim determination and courage in their eyes as they fought for every inch of that ground.”
Oakes turned back towards the wall of names.
“Every one of the 11,000 men memorialized on that cold stone deserved a proper burial and a lovingly attended grave. But death is not always fair. The final resting place of these young men who gave their all in the name of Canada have been lost through time.”
Oakes said that as she traced her fingers on the stone, she eventually came to the name she knew from home – Clark.
“When he enlisted at the age of 18, he never could have known his great adventure would end in an unknown grave somewhere in the poppy-dotted fields of the Somme.”
“Now he sleeps underground in what I hope is a perfect peace.”
Oakes said “shivers ran down my spine as I stood … taking in the memorial. I felt so humbled by the sacrifices of our brave Canadian soldiers … and a wave of gratitude washed over me as I realized what they gave up for our futures.”
“I felt honoured by the opportunity to stand there on that peaceful ground. I never felt so thankful to be Canadian as I stood there watching the sun set over the Vimy Ridge Memorial.”
As she left, her last sight was the spirit of sacrifice who throws a torch, echoing John McCrae’s words “I will not break faith with those long dead, and I promise to take up this torch of remembrance.”
Oakes said she would carry this torch proudly “to ensure the memory of these brave souls are not forgotten … and I urge you to do the same … to wear a poppy and to never forget the names on the cenotaphs across the country or the veterans who survived.”
“As Canadians, we must make sure the veterans who need our assistance are well cared for.”
