Keep your eyes to the skies this Remembrance Day, as an official military flyover is coming to Kamloops this year.
It was not in the original plans after last year marked the final fly over from the 419 ‘Moose’ Squadron, which underwent changes to its programming and the jets used by its pilots. But, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52 President, Daniel Martin, says the city can expect to see CF-18 jets flying overhead as part of the 2024 Remembrance Day ceremony.
“We are getting a fly by this year, and it will be by squandered 410 out of coral Lake, Alberta. It will be two CF-18. So it’s not training planes. Those are actually fighter planes that will be here. So that will be very exciting for all of us that will be there.”
Martin says the ceremony will begin at about 10:45. “That’s when we expect most of the people to be in place. So I would expect for people to start arriving around 10:30… we’ll have O’Canada as usual, lament, and all the pipers and the music will be there.”
Martin says there are still wreaths for people to purchase which they can then lay at the cenotaph following Monday morning’s ceremony. “We still have quite a few wreaths available to be purchased. They can either take it with them, or we can take it at the park, and then they just lay it at the end of the ceremony. Only a few will be called up during the ceremony themselves, but at the end of the ceremony, my MC, Steve will tell people, okay, it’s time for you guys, if you have a wreath, to come lay it at the Cenotaph.”
After the official Remembrance Day ceremony takes place, Martin says there will be opportunities for people to gather together. “We do have ANAVets on the North Shore, also the Rocky Mountain Rangers and the Legion are all open for the public to attend. If people want to come down to the Legion, sit down and talk to veterans and have a beer or coffee, they can definitely do that. We’re open all day after the ceremony. Also at the Legion itself, their will be a band playing upstairs all day until about 4:00/5:00. We can have a little bar upstairs there. So people are more than welcome to come and attend.”
