In the 11th month, on the 11th day during the 11th hour, ceremonies celebrated and mourned those who served our country.
People from across Lethbridge and Southern Alberta filled seats at the Exhibition Pavilion to pay their respects.
A number of groups from across the city, including the Scouts and Cadets, filed in to the sounds of the Legion Pipe Band. Veterans and those currently serving were met with a massive round of applause for their efforts.
Jeff Alden, Royal Canadian Legion manager, said he uses this day to remember fellow soldiers. “For those of us who are veterans, we lost a lot of friends in different conflicts. You do two minutes of silence, you remember those friends. You remember the time you had”, Alden added.
Major Gordon MacLeod, provided a moving speech on his past with the Canadian military.
Musical performances from a local choir, as well as a special dedication sung by Caitlyn and Meagan Mitchell were also heard.
Though it was a brutally cold morning, hundreds of people showed up at the Yates afterward for another short wreath laying service. Wreathes were laid on behalf of the bereaved mothers among other organizations.
“Being outside in the cold, it’s nice to see that we’re getting a pretty good crowd. Both turnouts today have been really good”, Alden mentioned about this year’s attendance.