The city of Kamloops will gather once again this Tuesday, November 11, to pay tribute to Canada’s veterans during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at Riverside Park.

The event, organized by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52, will feature the traditional parade, two minutes of silence, and the laying of wreaths at the cenotaph.

“We’ll be doing a Remembrance Day ceremony that starts at 11 o’clock where we will have our two minutes of silence and, at that point, we’re hoping for a flypast from the 419 Squadron out of Cold Lake,” said Mike Young, President of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52. “We’ll have people forming up about 15 minutes before 11, we’ll march on the colours, have our Last Post, lament, and Reveille, and then get into laying our wreaths.”

Young encouraged residents to come early. The parade will form up at 10:45 a.m., with the ceremony officially beginning at 10:55. “The city is setting up bleachers for us around the cenotaph down in Riverside Park, and we welcome everyone who wants to join us to please come down and pay respects to those that have fallen and the reason why we are gathering for Remembrance Day,” he said.

Following the ceremony, the parade will march along Victoria Street to the Legion at 425 Lansdowne Street, where the public is invited to join for refreshments, entertainment, and camaraderie throughout the afternoon.

For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony will be broadcast live on CFJC-TV.

Young said Remembrance Day remains one of the most meaningful observances in Canada. “I think it’s because Canada was really recognized as a country during the First World War, because of what the soldiers did when they went over,” he said. “It’s the one day a year when we can just take a couple minutes to stop what we’re doing and think about the sailors, the soldiers, the airmen — both men and women — who went before us and paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

The Legion’s annual poppy campaign is also underway — one of the most visible traditions leading up to November 11. “When people wear poppies, in my mind it’s a symbol of remembrance,” said Young. “They wear the poppy out of respect for those that paid the ultimate sacrifice and made our country what it is today.”

The campaign is also the Legion’s largest fundraiser, though Young emphasized that none of the proceeds go toward Legion operations. “All the money that’s raised during our poppy campaign goes into what we call a poppy trust fund, which is held in trust and used only for veteran services,” he explained. “That could mean helping a veteran get off the street, assisting with groceries, or supporting veteran housing. All the money raised in Kamloops stays in Kamloops and is used only for veterans and their families.”

Young said the support from the community has been “outstanding, as always,” with poppy boxes available at most local businesses and volunteers stationed at major retailers during weekends.

As Kamloops prepares to gather in remembrance, Young offered a heartfelt reminder: “We encourage everybody to come out on November 11th to remember and to honor our veterans. It’s so important that we don’t forget the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”