PARIS REMEMBERS Paris Remembrance Day Ceremony Details

By Casandra Turnbull

On Monday, residents will gather to honour and remember Canada’s veterans at a Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in downtown Paris.

The Colour Party will march in, from Broadway Street to the Cenotaph, at 10:45 am to signal the start of the service. The Sgt-atarms is Carrie Moran, with Mark Ford as the Parade Commander. The County of Brant OPP will have the roads blocked off throughout the service while residents pay their respects and remember the sacrifice veterans made during the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and the war in Afghanistan

Dale Kitchen will MC the service, which will begin with a dedication at 10:55 am, followed by O ‘Canada sung by Jennifer Budd, Last Post performed by Geoff Adeney and two minutes of silence. Jennifer will also sing O God Our Help in Ages Past and close the ceremony with God Save the King.

Ethan Leduc will be the ceremonial piper, and both the Ayr Paris Band and Paris/Port Dover Pipe Band will be in attendance. Students from Holy Family School will recite John McCrae’s famous poem In Flanders Fields.

Prior to the ceremony, in the interest of saving time, Service Clubs and Churches will attend at 10 am to place their wreaths During the Ceremony, the following wreaths will be placed in memory or representing World War 1 Veterans (by Earl Macdonald), World War 2 Veterans (by Henry Foster), Federal government (by Teresa Perscival), Provincial Government (by Milan Novakovic), County of Brant (by Mayor David Bailey), Korean Veterans (by Bud Keeton), Hong Kong Veterans (by Barry Humphrey), Canadian

Pictures from the 2023 Remembrance Day ceremony at the Paris Cenotaph, captured by the Paris Independent’s Michelle Malvaso

Armed Forces (by Andy Moran), Canadian Airborne (by Andy Lear), Zone B 2, Branch 29 Paris Legion (by Roy Haggart), OPP and Police Services Board (by John Peirce), County of Brant Firefighters (by Darren Watson), Paris Fire Fighter Club (by Mike Suski), Paramedics (by Kevin Robinson), Girl Guides, Scouts and all local schools. You can show your appreciation for our armed forces and veterans by contributing to this year’s Poppy Campaign, which raises money for provincial and federal programs, as well as local community projects and funds. Campaign boxes are placed around town for donations. “We would like to thank all the volunteers, veterans, county council and the public for the fantastic support the Legion receives in Paris,” said Branch 29 President Roy Haggart