photo credit: Brian Knipstrom
“They died serving their country. We will remember them.”
This simple statement provides a strong message to those who visit the newly erected war memorial outside the North Shuswap Community Hall. The newly-constructed cenotaph, a first for the North Shuswap, will be officially unveiled on November 11th, 2024.
Brian Knipstrom is a retired Chief Warrant Officer out of the Canadian Army. He spent 20 years with the Canadian Armed Forced and spent another 30 years as a police officer. He is now helping to organize Remembrance Day ceremony in the North Shuswap.
Knipstrom got the backing of the North Shuswap Lions Club to pursue the cenotaph project. “The lions, have taken upon ourselves to host the first Remembrance Day cenotaph ceremony here on the North Shore. It’s being held at the North Shore Community Center Hall, commonly referred to as Solicitor Hall. We’re commemorating a new plaque that’s been donated completely by the community.”
“It hasn’t cost us a penny. We got the granite plaques from a place in Kamloops there West Coast monuments, and all the cement from Spooner industrial. The actual cenotaph was built by B and D Concrete. Ryan McDuff and his crew did a fabulous job. And we had landscaping done by Newscapes Landscaping here.”
Knipstrom says it is going to be an emotional ceremony. He says the local MP, MLA, RCMP, veterans from a number of age groups, pipers, horn players and more will all be in attendance. A schedule of events can be found below.
“We have also two elementary school children from the North Shore Elementary school going to be reading a couple of passages. We also have discovered teen veterans that are buried out here in our cemetery. And I have the list that will be on display at the pub. So, that was that was done by a good friend of mine, Ted Usher, who’s the chair for the BC last post fund. They work with veterans affairs to find and mark graves and make sure that they’re all up to snuff. Great organization.”
Following the 11:00 ceremony, people will be invited to the Scotch Creek Hub at noon. There will be various memorial displays, veterans attending, lunch specials and live music by Jody Evans.
