Remembrance Day in Verona

Jeff Green | Nov 14, 2018

A few short years ago, the Remembrance Day ceremony in Verona was almost shifted to Prince Charles Public School from the Cenotaph at Mcmullen Park, but the insistence and the efforts of a small group of people kept the ceremony in the Park. There was a meeting at the cenotaph around the first of November that year. A half a dozen people were at the meeting, discussing where to hold the service, and there was some arguing before a consensus emerged to keep it at the cenotaph.

There were not that many people at the ceremony that year, but every year since then the assembly has grown. This year was the largest ever, marking the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. The Girl Scouts were on hand, singing. Local clergy, fresh from a combined religious service at the Free Methodist Church, were there as well, as was MP Scott Reid representing the government of Canada, choosing Verona over the dozens of services he could have attended throughout the sprawling Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston riding that he represents.

A large contingent of military and ex-military were also there, forming a long line-up at the end of the ceremony to place their poppies on the wreaths in front of the Cenotaph. By the time the lone piper departed the scene, signalling the end of the ceremony, the cold November air and sombre tone of the service had relented just a bit.

Just about everyone who had been at that meeting a few years ago was on hand, playing their part in making the ceremony such a tribute to the veterans, and the local community.