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REMEMBRANCE DAY
CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT CENOTAPH
PHOTO/HERALD FILES
The Merritt cenotaph is located in front of the Merritt Civic Centre.
JAKE COURTEPATTE
newsroom@merrittherald.com
Merritt residents will gather at the cenotaph on Nov. 11 to honour the sacrifices of Canadian veterans and remember those who served, with a traditional Remembrance Day ceremony featuring music, prayers, a two-minute silence and the laying of wreaths and poppies. The ceremony will begin with a vigil mounted at the cenotaph 15 minutes prior to the ceremony, followed by a musical prelude from the Nicola Valley Community Band at 10:45 a.m.
At 10:50 a.m., the Colour Party will march to the cenotaph accompanied by a drummer, piper and RCMP members. The ceremony will begin with the singing of “O Canada,” followed by opening remarks from master of ceremonies Roger White and Legion president Alphonse L’Abbe. Pastor Rick Turnbull will deliver the opening prayer before bugler Mason Hintz performs the Last Post, marking the beginning of the two-minute period of silence at approximately 11 a.m. The silence will be followed by Hintz playing Reveille, with piper
Duncan Ross and drummer Rick Leadbeater performing the lament. Nick Tolerton will then lead the Act of Remembrance, including the familiar words, “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old,” followed by the response, “We will remember them.” The Nicola Valley Community Band will perform before the reading of John McCrae’s famous First World War poem, “In Flanders Fields.” Wreath-laying will follow, accompanied by background music. The wreath representing Canada must be laid first, before other wreaths are placed at the cenotaph. Turnbull will deliver the blessing before the Colour Party lays poppies, followed by RCMP members, veterans gathered near the cenotaph and other ceremony participants. The ceremony will conclude with the singing of “God Save the King,” after which the Colour Party, veterans and Legion members will march off. Members of the public will then have an opportunity to approach the cenotaph and lay their own poppies in remembrance. The Nicola Valley Community Band will close the event with a performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Residents are encouraged to attend and take part in the annual observance, joining veterans, service members and the wider community in honouring those who served and sacrificed.
REMEMBERING
those that fought for our freedom.
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Baillie Property A Community Heritage site Since 1997
As we preserve the stories of our past, we honour the courage, sacrifice and service of those who gave so much for our future. HOURS OF OPERATION
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16 | THURSDAY November 5, 2026 | www.merrittherald.com “YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD DRUG STORE”
Always remember the one’s who fought so hard.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
BEYOND THE POPPIES FOR LEGION PRESIDENT
For the men and women that lost their lives. We are grateful for their sacrfice.
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PHOTO/JAKE COURTEPATTE
Merritt Legion President Alphone L’Abbe (left) presents Mayor Mike Goetz (centre) with the first poppy of the season.
ELIZABETH JOLICOEUR
community@merrittherald.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Remembering Their Sacrifice This November 11, Super Save Gas honours the heroes who served, the lives lost, and the families who sacrificed so much for our freedom.
Lest We Forget Hours: Monday to Sunday - 5:00 am to 11:00 pm
2525 Nicola Ave, Merritt
250-378-9777
For Merritt Legion President Alphonse L’Abbe, helping others has been a constant throughout his life. After decades serving communities as an RCMP officer, his work now focuses on veterans who may be facing some of their most difficult years long after leaving military service. L’Abbe joined the RCMP in 1991, spending 30 years working throughout British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. He retired in Merritt in 2019 before returning as a reservist for three years in Logan Lake, fully retiring in
2022. Alongside his wife Claudette, to whom he has been married for 53 years, L’Abbe has made Merritt home and continues finding ways to support the community. His involvement with the Royal Canadian Legion stretches back approximately three decades, moving between branches as his RCMP postings changed. After settling in Merritt, he joined the local Legion executive, eventually taking on the responsibilities of president and service officer. For the past two years, he has held both positions. “As a Service Officer I look after Veterans when they are in need of help. If they need rides for medical
appointments or get a hold of Veterans affairs, I try to assist them,” L’Abbe explained. The assistance can extend much further. He said the Legion can help homeless veterans find housing, while others may need support navigating rising living costs, medical appointments or the loss of a spouse. “Some of the struggles that veterans have are rising price of rents and taxes. Especially if they have lost their lifelong partners,” he said. “Making new friends and getting back to life in general can be hard.” For L’Abbe, those struggles are YEAR-ROUND: continued on page A17
On November 11th, we wear a poppy and lay a wreath on the cenotaph in your honour, but we will remember your sacrifice and bravery, always. FULL MECHANICAL SERVICE COMMERCIAL TIRE SERVICE
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
YEAR-ROUND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE BEYOND: continued from page A16
reminders that military service can continue affecting people long after they return to civilian life. “If we happen to run across a homeless veteran, we can totally help them get off the streets and into a home of their own,” he said. “This work is really satisfying and helping people is what I [have] done for the past 40 years.” His role as president also involves overseeing the many moving parts of the Legion, from meetings and finances to the volunteers and executive members who keep the organization operating. “There was a lot to learn but I persevered and now have a good executive group to work with,” he said. But it is his encounters with veterans that appear to leave the deepest impression. “Working with veterans in the Legion, meeting them and hearing their stories really hits home,” L’Abbe said. “To see the look in their eyes around Remembrance Day or special days throughout the year always makes me wonder what
they are really thinking, hard times for sure.” The Legion’s work also extends throughout Merritt and the surrounding area. According to L’Abbe, the organization has donated more than $20,000 to community groups and causes this year. Money raised through the annual poppy campaign is directed toward supporting veterans in need. “We at the Legion are a non-profit organization and all our monies that we make go toward our community and groups within Merritt and area,” he explained. One of the more visible reminders of that service is the commemorative veterans crosswalk across from the Merritt Legion. L’Abbe said the project was funded jointly by the City of Merritt and the Legion, with each contributing half the cost. Although the original installation did not meet expectations, he said the city has indicated the colours will be made brighter. “The original crosswalk was a little disappointing as it was not done properly,” he said. The crosswalk is intended to
honour both those who have served and those who continue to serve, providing a reminder of their contributions beyond November 11. This year also marks the Royal Canadian Legion’s 100th anniversary nationally, while the Merritt branch will celebrate its own centennial in 2028. Looking ahead, L’Abbe hopes younger generations continue learning about the experiences of veterans and elders, and the sacrifices that shaped the lives of those who came before them. “Remembrance Day is a very important day to remember why we have our freedom and hopefully the schools and families will continue to teach children what has taken place through the wars and even today.” The wreaths will be laid, the names remembered and the ceremonies brought to a close. Yet remembrance carries a responsibility that Alphonse L’Abbe and the Legion continue throughout the year, ensuring the veterans honoured each November are also supported in the lives they lead today.
Remember Them for they gave Everything
Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary THE THRIFT SHOP 1803 Voght St., Merritt, BC • www.nvhealthcareaux.ca • 250-378-9100
HONOURING GENERATIONS OF FIRST NATIONS ELIZABETH JOLICOEUR
community@merrittherald.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
In Shulus, a large boulder stands alongside granite pillars bearing the names of Nicola Valley First Nations veterans. Together, they hold decades of history, from those who left their communities to
serve, to the families and volunteers who worked to ensure their stories would not be forgotten. The Nicola Valley First Nations Veterans Monument was unveiled on May 28, 2023, but its beginnings reach back two decades, when local veterans recognized the need for a permanent place to honour Indigenous military service.
In 2003, Percy Joe and Richard Jackson began looking for a way to recognize First Nations veterans from the Nicola Valley. Without an established organization supporting their efforts, they found a large boulder and arranged for it to be moved to Shulus. SHULUS: continued on page A26
November 11 - 10:50 am Remembrance Day Wednesday, Laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph
Ceremony
at the Merritt Civic Centre Businesses, organizations & individuals wishing to purchase a wreath please call the Legion at 250-378-5631 or email Legion096@outlook.com
A message from the Nicola Valley Teachers Union
Ceremony to take place outside this year and everyone invited to attend. There will be barricades set up so that immediate area around cenotaph is clear and the street where color party marches is left clear. Businesses, organizations and individuals may lay their own wreaths this year if they wish to do so. There will be an open house at the Legion Lounge after ceremony. Everyone is welcome to attend.
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
With love and pride, we remember your sacrifice. Alec McIvor, John (Tona) Garcia, Camp Borden, Ont. c. 1940
Elva & Sam Reid
Eric Munro
Ernie Sing
Fabian LaRochelle
Faye Gay
Frank Archer
Fred Geater
Fred McDougall
Gaylord Blankenship
George Hunter
George Kinvig
Gordon Curnow
NEW PATIENTS & WALK-INS WELCOME
GENERAL DENTISTS & SPECIALIST ORTHODONTISTS AVAILABLE
Call
250-378-4888 to book your appointment. 2731 Forksdale Avenue, V1K 1R9
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Dr.J.R. Dutt-DMD, Dr. J Suzuki -DMD, MSc., FRCD(c) Dr. Sarao-DMD, Dr. S. Malhotra-DDS, Dr. R. Dutt-DMD
HOURS
Tuesday: 9 am - 6 pm Wednesday - Thursday: 9 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday: 9 am - 4 pm
Smith Bent & Tim Voght
Phillip, Willfred, Leo Boulanger
from the Nicola Valley Association for Community Living and Ska-Lu-La Workshop.
Melvin (Buster) Curnow
Lest we forget those brave souls who gave their lives so we could live ours. Phone: 250-378-6170 Email: journeys@live.ca
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
INDEPENDENT LIVING
John Linney
Johnny Curnow
Joseph Coutlee aka Young Joe
Keith Huston
Please take a moment to remember the sacrifices made by our veterans, so we could live in peace. www.theflorentine.ca Phone: 250-378-5300 • 4100 Belshaw St. Merritt, BC
Leslie Gerrard
Lloyd Barrett
Lloyd Fairley
Mae Elliott
Thank You Nellie Blankenship
Nelson Atkinson
Norman Rogers
Oliver Lindley
Peter McDonald
PTE J. McNaney
Rab Williamson
Ralph Graham
to all those who have served our country to preserve our Freedom!
1800 Garcia Street • 250-378-9238
Remembrance Day We will not forget . . . Thank you for your service, your courage, your sacrifice.... FOR OUR FREEDOM
Merritt Funeral Chapel
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REMEMBRANCE DAY Remembering the men and women and the sacrifices they made. ICBC & PRIVATE INSURANCE CLAIMS 2663 Granite Avenue
Ph: 250-378-4531
Jack Lockhart
Cecil Grinstead
Cecil Hunter
Charles Howse
James Alexander Hogg
Charlie Stirling
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Richard Jackson Sr.
Jessie Maxwell
David Hogg
David Moyes
Denis Curnow
Jim Maxwell, Doug Maxwell, Ben Shaw
Don Peerenboon
Donna McLeod
Dorothy Langstaff
Your courage, resilience, and the strength you bring to our communities are gifts we hold in our hearts.
Thank You
2088 Quilchena Ave
PO Box 3090, Merritt, BC V1K 1B8
Call: 250-378-5877
REMEMBRANCE DAY NOVEMBER 11
A day to REMEMBER Those who gave us PEACE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL
imhub@telus.net 197 Veale Rd., Merritt BC 250-936-9398
John Dalton
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
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Why Stress when you can bring it to the Best
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Served 2032 Quilchena Ave, Merritt • 250-378-2215 reception@carrieware.ca • www.carrieware.ca Kenneth Duncan Ellis & Lloyd Hoyne Ellis
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Proud to acknowledge and recognize all of our veterans who gave so much to protect our freedom.
Brothers Bill and Archie Allan
Roy Brown
Joe Quinville
Johnny’s on the Rez • Gas & Diesel • Snacks • Cold Drinks • Novelty & Gift Items
• Ice • Photo Copying • Faxing • Lotto Centre
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Willie Fountain
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Pizza: 250-315-0087 Mike Bob
Lest we Forget Mr. Mingay
Gilbert Woods
Russel Eagles
Sterling, Frederick Albert
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Paul Yemstrowsky
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Percy Joe
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Store: 250-378-9557
#154 Hwy 8, Merritt - Located 7 km from town on Highway 8 West
Remembering those who served, thank you for your service and sacrifice.
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
Erik Sigurd and Thorald Teit
Herman Earnshaw
Hugh Vicars
Please take
a moment to
remember the
sacrifices made by our Veterans so
we could live in peace.
2049 Nicola Ave., Merritt 250-378-9255 www.murraygmmerritt.com
CIRCLE OF SERVICE Honouring members of our community who served, are serving, and who have since walked on.
LEST WE FORGET NOVEMBER 11
Frank Dodding
Fred Dodding
Fred Gay
J.J. Johnston
Jack Ewart
George B. Armstrong
George Hazlehurst
George Hogg
Roberta Mathews Birk
Geofrey Curnow
Service was part of their story. But their memory remains a part of us. Conayt Friendship Society honours all veterans, Military families and those currently serving
Conayt Friendship Society Kʷukʷscémxʷ • Limləmt • Maarsii
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
Nicola Plumbing & Heating Remember those who sacrificed so much for our freedom. We offer: residential, new construction, renovations, light commercial and light industrial. TSBC Licence #LGA0002534
Al Hartwell
Alec Cousin Jr.
Albert E. (Dick) Stapleton
Andy Garcia
2064 Coutlee Ave Alexander Watson Lonie
Allan Eagles
Henry Ralph Blumenauer
Allan Leonard
Each poppy represents a story of courage. This Remembrance Day let us remember the HEROES behind the stories.
Alphonse Garcia
1301 Nicola Ave. Annie Lauder
Bill Palagain
Bill Berkley
Antoine Moses
Bill Voght
Harold Mosley
Archie Allan
Billy McLeod
Bart Dodding
Archie Hardy Sr.
Henry Castillou
Lawrence Smith
250-378-4943
250-315-6880
Henry Koller
Nicola Valley & District Metis Society
Tom McGrath
Alan Leonard
Take time to remember the men & women who have fought for our country and who continue to fight .
If you would like more information on our society please call 250-378-5015 or 250-378-0076 • email: truck126@hotmail.com • Facebook: Nicola Valley Metis
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
Lest We Forget...
November 11
A time to reflect on the sacrifice of those who fought for our freedom.
James Moyes Senior
Jack Veale
Archie York by the Ship Majestic
Earnest Sowerby
Bill & Jim Dunnigan
William J. Koller
Bernard and Frank Dunnigan
Brian Dustin
Harold Newman
Harry J. Winny
Harry Purvis
Austin Williams
Barney Stirling
Paul LeSage Construction Ltd. Your building, renovation specialists
Ph: 250-240-3306 or email: lesagepaul@shaw.ca
Stanley Reginald Smith
Ted Taylor
Teddy Gerrard
Pvt. Henry Swakum & Friends
“In War there are no unwounded soldiers.” - Jose Narosky Phone: (250) 378-9745
1926 Quilchena Avenue, Merritt, BC
Ralph Hack
Earl Walker
Henry Abel
Walter Forsyth
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
Archie McDougal
Les and George Griffiths
Gerrard, Charles, Bernard, Urban Guichon
GENERATIONS REMEMBERNG Stuwix Resources Joint Venture 250-378-2277
Ken Moyes
Bertie Ware
Smitty Bent and Dave Shuter
Reg Eagles
Elmer (Shorty) Jensen
Communities Served by Community Futures Nicola Valley Merritt . Aspen Grove . Brookmere . Douglas Lake . Lower Nicola . Quilchena
Richard Jackson Jr.
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With gratitude and respect, we honour all those who served and remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. Bases in Hope, Merritt & Kamloops, BC Toll Free: 1-877-869-2131 info@valleyhelicopters.ca | www.valleyhelicopters.ca
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
SHULUS MONUMENT A GATHERING PLACE TO REFLECT HONOURING GENERATIONS: continued from page A17 Four plaques were placed on the stone, recognizing veterans of the First World War, Second World War, Korean War and Vietnam War. What began with a single boulder became a place where veterans, families and community members gathered each November to remember those who served. Over the years, the Nicola Valley First Nations Veterans Association continued organizing Remembrance Day ceremonies and working with schools, cadets, the Rocky Mountain Rangers and the Royal Canadian Legion to share the history of Indigenous military service. At the 2019 ceremony, the names of 108 veterans and peacekeepers were read aloud. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the usual gatherings in 2020 and 2021, but remembrance continued. A ceremonial fire was lit in 2020, and a virtual ceremony was held the following year. By then, plans were underway for a larger monument that could provide more room for ceremonies and a permanent record of local veterans’ names. The proposed expansion included three granite pillars, seating, a ceremonial fire pit and improved access for families and visitors. The project had the support of all five local band councils, although additional fundraising and volunteer work were still needed. When the completed monument was unveiled in 2023, the original boulder became part of the new memorial rather than being left behind. Today, three granite pillars bear the names of 66 First Nations veterans, including six who did not return home, according to Veterans Affairs Canada’s National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials.
The monument also reflects the work of Percy Joe, Richard Jackson and fellow veterans and volunteers, including the late Barney Stirling, Paddy Stirling, Don Moses and John F. Isaac. Behind the pillars are photographs representing veterans who served in different conflicts and as peacekeepers, along with artwork created by a Grade 8 Indigenous student from Princeton to represent freedom. Five steel feathers created by Syilx artist Clint George represent five local First Nations. A ceremonial fire pit bears the words “Every Child Matters,” recognizing children whose lives and experiences are also part of the history carried by Indigenous communities. The project extended beyond the monument itself. Through the Last Post Fund, 19 veterans received military grave markers, providing recognition at their final resting places. For many Indigenous veterans across Canada, recognition did not always follow their return from service. Veterans Affairs Canada documents a long history of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people volunteering to serve despite discrimination and barriers to enlistment. More than 4,000 Indigenous people served during the First World War alone. Yet many returned to a country where the rights and benefits available to other veterans were not equally extended to them. Under the Soldier Settlement Act of 1919, some returning veterans received grants allowing them to own farmland. Many First Nations veterans seeking similar assistance were instead given permission to use reserve land that already belonged to their communities. Access to other postwar benefits was also unequal. First Nations veterans faced additional barriers under the
Indian Act and the government systems responsible for administering assistance. The difficulties continued after the Second World War, when Indigenous veterans encountered obstacles accessing benefits under the Veterans’ Land Act. For those living in remote communities, reaching government offices and services could create further challenges. They had served alongside other Canadians during wartime, yet returned home to a country that did not always offer them the same opportunities. Although these experiences form part of the broader national history, they provide important context for the generations of Indigenous veterans honoured in Shulus. The memorial also reflects the determination of local families and communities to preserve that history themselves. Its development was not the work of a single ceremony or organization. It grew through years of gatherings, fundraising, community support and the efforts of veterans who understood the importance of recording names before more stories were lost. The completed monument offers families a place to remember loved ones, while giving younger generations an opportunity to learn about the people who served. What began in 2003 with a boulder and four plaques has grown into a memorial carrying generations of Nicola Valley history. The original stone still stands alongside the granite pillars, connecting the veterans who first sought recognition for their fellow servicemen and women with the families who continue that work today. Their names remain at the heart of the monument in Shulus, preserving not only a record of military service, but a history that belongs to the communities and generations who carry it forward.
Honouring our nation’s bravest for their service and sacrifice.
MERRITT HERALD
#201-1951 Garcia Street, Merritt, BC 250-378-4224
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
Cacuse Garcia
Robert Hogg
Jim Nesbit
Jim Hardy
250-378-9686 2013 Quilchena Ave.
TF: 1-877-420-1116 www.lemonadestand420.ca
HOME HARDWARE
would like to THANK all of our local heroes for their service in the hopes for greater good.
HERO
Robert Charters (Seated)
Arthur Monroe Fraser
Reginald Shuttleworth
Jack Geater
A person who in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength often sacrificing his or her own personal concerns for some greater good. THANK YOU Ken Moyes and all of our local heroes!
Eddie LaRochelle
Eddie Tom
Edith Carr
Edna Rawlings
Lest We Forget
Today and always, we honour those who served, sacrificed and gave their lives for our freedom.
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Birdie Alice Clarkson
Ray Fairley
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Dave Shuter
Ignatia (Lanigan) Grams
Don Faulkner
Ken Fairley
Major Harold Mathews
Joan Iver Hendy
James Edward Dunnigan
Paddy Stirling
Pat Carr
Jim Cartwright
Elizabeth Chaster
Jim Moyes Jr. Ray Riley
Ken Berkley
Matt Hogan
Jack Shaw
www.merrittherald.com | THURSDAY, November 5, 2026 | 29
REMEMBRANCE DAY
In the memory of many, In honour of all, Thank-you.
Nicola Valley Community Justice Services Society
TEL: 250-378-5010
6 returned men L-R: Ken Moyes, Gordon Cameron, Percy Boyd, Maurice Hunter, Billy Drybourgh, Ronnie Laidlaw
1999 GARCIA STREET - MERRITT, BC
Remembrance Day In these times it is important to remember the cost of freedom and protect it.
15 mins. east of Merritt on Hwy 97C A destination for 60 years and a beautiful venue for Weddings, retreats and reunions.
Gordon Geater
Harold Hunter Pvt. Henry Swakum
11-11-2025
Tona Garcia
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For your SACRIFICE For our FREEDOM
THANK YOU
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Visit www.corbettlake.ca for more info Phone: 250-378-4334
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
TWO BROTHERS, TWO WARSHIPS, ONE PLACE TO CALL HOME
PHOTO/HAYDEN POOLEY
Nicola Valley twins Hayden and Courtnay Pooley before their Royal Canadian Navy deployments in 2023.
ELIZABETH JOLICOEUR
community@merrittherald.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The mountains of the Nicola Valley were home long before the open ocean became part of their lives. Twin brothers Hayden and Courtnay Pooley grew up on a farm between Merritt and Shulus, where generations of their family have called the valley home. Years later, their lives would take them far beyond those familiar mountains, aboard Canadian warships travelling through waters thousands of kilometres away. Both are now lieutenants in the Royal Canadian Navy, with years of experience at sea and stories that reach from the Middle East to the Philippines. But their time in uniform has also given them a different understanding of the people whose names they grew up seeing on the local cenotaph. For Courtnay, who graduated from Merritt Secondary School, the possibility of military service first entered his mind around Grade 10. “Movies and other things put the idea in my head, but it was more about wanting a practical next step after high school,” he recalled. A Canadian Armed Forces advertisement during a movie preview in Kamloops caught his attention in Grade 11. He applied as a technician, was accepted and left after graduation. “It felt like a solid move. The Navy gave me a career and the chance to work with people from all over the
country. It still left the door open to come back to British Columbia when the time was right. Along the way I’ve learned a fair bit about myself and what actually matters.” His brother Hayden had originally planned to become a heavy-duty mechanic, but Courtnay’s interest in the military helped introduce him to another possibility. “We both wanted adventure along with stability, and staying on the West Coast, close to home and to each other, mattered to us,” Hayden said. Years later, the brothers are both Naval Warfare Officers based in Esquimalt, currently completing Operations Room Officer training. Courtnay’s career has included earning his bridge watchkeeping qualifications, returning to HMCS Calgary as an officer, passing his lieutenant’s board, deploying aboard HMCS Vancouver as an Underwater Warfare Officer and completing a posting outside Canada. Among those experiences, his time aboard HMCS Calgary during Operation Artemis remains particularly memorable. The deployment took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions and isolation added further challenges to life at sea. During the operation, the crew participated in a major drug interdiction in the Middle East, involving what Courtnay described as the largest heroin seizure in Combined Maritime Forces history at the time. “I was still a junior officer finishing my bridge qualifications, part of the team navigating and
supporting the boardings and searches,” he explained. “The long hours felt challenging, but the outcome was significant. Most of the job is preparation and steady attention rather than big moments. You learn a lot about yourself when the days are long and the conditions are not ideal.” For Hayden, one of the experiences that stayed with him happened far from the operations room of a Canadian warship. After deploying aboard HMCS Vancouver in 2022, he joined HMCS Ottawa for Operation Horizon in the Indo-Pacific in the summer of 2023. During a port visit to Subic Bay in the Philippines, approximately 20 members of the ship’s crew travelled to a small village about an hour outside the city to deliver food, school supplies and other necessities. Hayden remembered the village as a collection of small homes built from wood, bamboo and corrugated metal, surrounded by jungle. The supplies were delivered to approximately 50 to 80 children and their families, with children ranging in age from five months to 14 years. But it was his own family, thousands of kilometres away, that occupied his thoughts. “The families were so thankful for what Canada was doing for them. But all I could think about was my wife back home, five months pregnant with our daughter, and how lucky we were to be born in Canada, supported by our families, and able to travel halfway around the world to help people who needed it.” Hayden returned home in mid-December, just in time to welcome his daughter, Aubrey, on Christmas Eve. His family grew again in October 2025 with the birth of his son, James. Following his deployment, he worked at Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters before beginning his current training. As his career progressed, he found himself responsible for leading increasingly larger teams. “Professionally, as my career has progressed, I’ve been responsible for leading larger and larger teams. That has taught me how to listen, how to lead with compassion and how to help my sailors become the best versions of themselves.” Becoming a father has also changed his perspective. “Personally, having kids has been the greatest opportunity for growth and reflection. The Navy has allowed me to provide for my family, and it has given me a new sense of pride in serving Canada.” Courtnay’s wife also serves in the military, and together they are raising two young children. “Professionally it’s been a gradual step up in responsibility. Personally, having a wife who also serves and two young kids has made the time away more real, and the time at home feel even better.” For Courtnay, the names on the cenotaph in Merritt were familiar long before he understood the realities of REFLECTING ON PREDECESSORS: continued on page A31
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REMEMBRANCE DAY
REFLECTING ON PREDECESSORS TWO BROTHERS: continued from page A30
military service. “Growing up we knew the names on the cenotaph and the family stories of their descendants around the valley,” he recalled. “After a few years of actual sea time and watchkeeping, you see how much coordination and endurance the job takes even in normal operations. It puts those earlier generations in clearer light. It’s still mostly ordinary people doing the work, a lot of them from places like the Nicola Valley. It also makes you look harder at your own limits and what it takes to keep going.” His experiences aboard Canadian warships have given him an appreciation for the conditions endured by sailors during the Second World War. “It is a reminder of the hardship and heroism of those who served before us. The conditions they faced were far harder, and they still persevered. That example of endurance and commitment is what stands out. It puts the ordinary work we do now in clearer perspective.” Even during difficult days at sea, Courtnay finds himself thinking about those earlier sailors. “When the seas are rough and everyone onboard is seasick, I think about how our Canadian Corvettes famously rolled during WW2 and those conditions were the least of their problems.” Hayden also reflects on the differences between military service today and the experiences of previous generations. Modern technology allows service members to
remain connected with loved ones, even while deployed thousands of kilometres from home. For those who served during earlier conflicts, such communication was not possible. “Service shapes your understanding of what earlier veterans went through. What the Navy does on operations carries risk, sacrifice and hardship,” Hayden explained. “Today, we’re fortunate to stay connected with our families and for them to support us anywhere in the world. That wasn’t the case for those who served before us. They left home not knowing whether they would ever see their homes, their families or their children again. That is a sacrifice that’s hard to fathom.” For Hayden, Remembrance Day is also a time to think about service members who have lost their lives more recently. “It means sacrifice: the sacrifice families make, the hardships veterans faced and the risks we take every day serving Canada to protect our freedom and way of life.” This year, he said he will be remembering the six sailors and aviators lost aboard Stalker 22, Master Sailor Duane Earle, Petty Officer 2nd Class Gregory Applin and those lost in the tragedy at CFB Wainwright. Their parents, Gordon and Catherine, and grandmother Barbara still live in the Nicola Valley. For Courtnay, returning home means sharing parts of his own childhood with his children.
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A NAVAL CAREER: continued on page A32
Remembering our Ancestors, Honouring our Veterans, and holding their stories close to our hearts.
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A NAVAL CAREER FAR BEYOND HOME REFLECTING ON PREDECESSORS: continued from page A31 “My parents and my Grandmother are still in the area and we get back when we can. I love bringing my kids home to see the farm and breathe the mountain air. Last winter they got to learn to make a fire.” “I cherish my childhood in the Nicola Valley and credit it for preparing me for what I am doing now.” Hayden shares that attachment to home. “I carry the feeling that there’s no place like home. The Navy is a grand adventure, with more than its fair share of fun and excitement, but coming home to my family, my community and the valley is what makes my service rewarding.” Both brothers also hope their experiences might encourage others from smaller communities to consider military service. Courtnay believes the military offers a practical career path for those willing to accept its demands. “It’s a straightforward way to build a career and get experience that’s hard to come by otherwise. The work rewards reliability and competence more than anything else.” “For someone from rural British Columbia it lets you serve the country while still carrying the habits and perspective from home. It’s not for everyone, but the opportunities are real and the people are good if you’re willing to put in the time.” Hayden pointed to the Navy’s Naval Experience Program, a paid one-year opportunity that allows participants to experience military life before deciding whether to pursue a longer career. Participants can train in Esquimalt or Halifax,
REMEMBRANCE DAY K’en T’em Limited Partnership
Lest we forget
their sacrifice brought our peace. Today, and every day, we remember.
On November 11, we pause as a community to remember and honour the brave men and women who served Canada. Their courage, dedication and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
LEST WE FORGET
shadow different naval occupations ashore and at sea, and finish the year by going to sea aboard a Navy ship. Afterward, they can pursue full-time or reserve service, with their completed training counting toward their future career, or leave with a year of experience if they decide the Navy isn’t for them. “There are many ways to join and serve,” Hayden explained. “For anyone who’s curious but not ready to commit to a full career, the Navy offers the Naval Experience Program.” He believes the length of a person’s military career does not determine the value of their contribution. “Whatever path you take, any length of service is meaningful. Whether someone serves one year or 35, they’ve stepped up for their country, and Canadians are better off for it.” “Every sailor who stands a watch, sails on a deployment or helps out in a disaster here at home is part of something bigger than themselves, and that’s worth being proud of.” For Hayden and Courtnay Pooley, the Navy has taken them far beyond the Nicola Valley, into experiences that have changed how they understand the lives and sacrifices of those who served before them. But for all the distance travelled and years spent at sea, their connection to home remains rooted in the farm between Merritt and Shulus, where their family still lives and where their own children are now making memories. As another Remembrance Day approaches, the brothers carry both their experiences in uniform and the perspective of two boys who grew up in the Nicola Valley.
Thank you to all of our Men and Women for the sacrifices you have made on our behalf.
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LOGAN LAKE CORPORAL REFLECTS ON FAMILY HISTORY ELIZABETH JOLICOEUR
community@merrittherald.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Second World War ended more than 80 years ago, but for Logan Lake RCMP Cpl. Chris Odgaard, its history has never been confined to textbooks or the names engraved on memorials. It is part of his own family’s past, carried through generations whose lives were shaped by the war in very different ways. His father experienced the German occupation of Denmark, while his mother lived through the war in London, England. His maternal grandfather served in the Royal Air Force, where his duties as a navigator aboard Lancaster bombers eventually led to two years PHOTO/VETERANS.GC.CA as a prisoner of war in Germany. The cenotaph at Logan Lake. Those experiences have given Odgaard a personal connection to Remembrance Day, one that extends examples of the dangers civilians faced during the war. beyond his own career in uniform. These were the circumstances surrounding his “From my own perspective, as the son of European parents’ wartime experiences, long before they would immigrants, Remembrance Day (has) a special meaning become part of the same family. for me: both my parents experienced the war in Europe His grandfather’s experience was different again. firsthand,” Odgaard shared. Serving as an officer in Britain’s Royal Air Force, he Although his parents experienced the war in different flew as a navigator aboard Lancaster bombers, aircraft countries, both lived through a period when the used extensively in the Allied bombing campaign over conflict reached far beyond the battlefield and into the Europe. daily lives of ordinary families. Navigators were responsible for helping aircraft reach Denmark was occupied by German forces in April their targets and find their way home, a demanding role 1940, beginning five years of occupation that continued during missions that often took crews over enemy until the country’s liberation in May 1945. territory. Across the North Sea, Britain faced years of aerial But one of those flights ended over Germany when his attacks, including the bombing of London during the grandfather’s aircraft was shot down. Blitz. The city became one of the most recognizable
A message from the
“The plane he was in was shot down over Germany and he spent two years in a German POW camp.” Odgaard did not provide further details about his grandfather’s captivity, but the two years he spent as a prisoner became another part of the family’s wartime history. Between occupied Denmark, London under attack and an airman held captive in Germany, the war touched three members of Odgaard’s family in different ways. Decades later, those experiences remain part of how he understands the meaning behind Remembrance Day. “So words like ‘service’, ‘duty’ and ‘lest we forget’ have a special significance for me.” Today, Odgaard serves as detachment commander of the Logan Lake RCMP, where he expects to attend this year’s November 11 ceremony in ceremonial dress, possibly alongside a retired member. As a small detachment, the local RCMP presence at the ceremony is expected to be modest, but the occasion carries a significance that reaches well beyond his professional responsibilities. The uniform he wears today represents a different kind of service from that of his grandfather, while the wartime experiences of his parents offer another perspective on the lives affected by conflict. When Odgaard stands in uniform at Logan Lake’s ceremony this November 11, he will do so not only as a serving RCMP officer, but as someone whose own family lived through the war being remembered. Behind that uniform is a history stretching from occupied Denmark and wartime London to a German prisoner-of-war camp, giving the words spoken each Remembrance Day a meaning that reaches far beyond the ceremony itself.
Scw’exmx Tribal Council
The Scw’exmx Tribal Council wants to express on behalf of all Canadians our Pride in this history. History is important, the history about Native veterans and the place they served with honor and distinction, home and abroad in the time of war and in keeping peace. More than 200 Canadian native soldiers were killed or died from wounds during the Second World War. Natives earned a minimum of 18 decorations for bravery in action. They participated in every major battle and campaign. On each occasion our soldiers overcame challenges and made impressive sacrifices and contributions to help our nation restore world peace. In order to fight for our country, our Native Veterans had to give up their Native Status on top of the ultimate sacrifice. May we bring home these historic memories of our ancestors and elders as we honor the Native Veterans today...
These pictures represent just a fraction of our Native Veterans Joseph Coutlee
Mike Bob
Percy Joe
Richard Jackson Sr.
Richard Jackson Jr.
Dave Shuter
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