WATCH: Canadians across the country united as one today to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Ceilidh Millar reports.
Thousands of people gathered around the cenotaph at the B.C. Legislature in Victoria on Saturday to remember the military men and women who fought for our freedom.
Saturday?s overcast skies marking a solemn and sacred occasion on the annual day of remembrance.
?This is the day to just stop and appreciate what we have,? said Angus Stanfield, former president of the Royal Canadian Legion/BC Yukon. ?To remember the price that was paid and the people that gave their lives.?
When the final note of the Last Post rang through the air at 11 a.m., the crowd bowed their heads, pausing to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers during two minutes of silence.
The moments of reflection teaching a new generation of Canadians about the importance of remembrance.
?It means remembering the people who sacrificed their lives for us,? said seven-year-old Cayman, whose father serves in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Among the crowd were representatives from all walks of government, including B.C.?s Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon.
Community leaders, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, first responders, veterans and families were among those in attendance.
“[This day] always gets me back in touch with where I’ve been,? said Chief Petty Officer Second Class David Mitchell of the HMCS Winnipeg. ?I remember the friends that I have sailed with, worked with ashore and the ones I have unfortunately lost.?
Shelia Fynes, this year?s Silver Cross Mother, was one of the first dignitaries to lay a wreath on the memorial.
Fynes honoured her son, Corporal Stuart Langridge, a Canadian soldier who took his own life in 2008.
The service in Victoria was one of several Remembrance Day ceremonies to take place in Greater Victoria and across Vancouver Island on Saturday.
In Langford, hundreds of people, including Premier John Horgan, took part in the service at the Veterans Memorial Parkway.
The occasion had many Islanders sharing personal stories of family members who served.
Mike List, who has attended the ceremonies in Victoria for the past eight years, brings his grandfather?s war medals to the service every year.
?My grandfather, Frank Henry List, served from 1937 to 1949,? List said. ?I also had another grandfather who served in the war. My father and my cousin also served in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Ceilidh Millar
