There are three anniversaries being commemorated at this year’s Remembrance Day Service in Saskatoon including the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Volunteer Naval Reserve. Retired Colonel Malcolm Young, Program Director for the Saskatoon service, says this year the bell of the HMCS SASKATOON will be wrung during the Remembrance Day Services to commemorate all those sailors from Saskatchewan who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Photo Credit: Saskatoon Remembrance Day Service Committee. Pictured: Warrant Officer (Ret’d) Ed Dagenais
Also being recognized is the 150th anniversary of the RCMP. Young says some people question why the RCMP is recognized in a military context but says the RCMP have been involved in military engagements dating back to the Boer War. Another important anniversary being recognized is the 30th Anniversary of the Medak pocket. It’s referred to as Canada’s forgotten battle. Not forgotten by those involved but not recognized by the Canadian government, publicly, until 2002. In 1993 during the war in the Balkans, Operation Medak Pocket became the largest military battle for Canadian troops since the Korean War.
Naval Korean Veteran Chief Petty Officer Jim Dockstader, age 93 will be one of three veterans taking the compliments of the parade. Sgt (Ret’d) Ernie Fast will take compliments of the parade on behalf of the RCMP, and on behalf of the Canadian Army Warrant Officer (Ret’d) Ed Dagenais, a veteran of the Medak pocket.
Photo credit: Saskatoon Remembrance Day Committee. Pictured Chief Petty Officer (Re’td) Jim Dockstader
Young says Saskatchewan’s history with the military is long and takes many forms including the Next of Kin Memorial Avenue at Woodlawn Cemetary. Young explains there were 266 trees planted in 1923 for soldiers who died in World War I and a century later it has evolved to over 1200 trees dedicated in Saskatoon. Young says it is the only living memorial left in Canada dedicated to the service and sacrifice of Canadian service personnel.
The doors open at 9 a.m. at SaskTel Centre for the 92nd Saskatoon Remembrance Day Service. The program begins at 10 a.m. And Canadian singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt who is an honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force and whose tour lands her in Saskatoon Remembrance Day, will be singing the national anthem and God Save the King at the Saskatoon service.
There is a free bus service to the Remembrance Day ceremony with buses departing from the Downtown Special Events Stop at 23rd Street and 2nd Avenue, every 20 minutes starting at 9:00 a.m., with the last bus leaving at 10:20 a.m. From Market Mall at 9:45 a.m. from the mall transit terminal, from Centre Mall at 9:45 a.m. from the mall transit terminal. Veterans and current Canadian Armed Forces members will be recognized with free transit service throughout the system all day on November 11.
