Each Canadian flag tells the story of someone who served, and at Resurrection Cemetery in Sydney Forks, N.S., there are 805 of them. “Our son is a veteran who is buried here in this cemetery,” said Debbie MacRury of Sydney, N.S., whose son, Cpl. Gregory MacLean, spent seven years in the Canadian Air Force as an aviation technician before he died in 2017 at age 28. MacRury said her son was always proud to be a Canadian veteran, especially on Remembrance Day. “His favourite thing to do on Remembrance Day was to go and be with the veterans, to hear the stories (of) those who fought in the wars,” MacRury said. “He loved that. He said, ‘I want to go hang out with the (older) vets. I want to hear what they have to say.’” The people responsible for the cemetery’s care and upkeep believe it holds one of the largest numbers of veterans buried at any cemetery of graveyard on Cape Breton Island. “It was 802 and when we started investigating, we found three more that are buried here,” said Mike Gillis, chair of Resurrection Cemetery’s board of directors. Gillis said veterans from the First and Second World Wars, the Korean Conflict, and more recent service members are buried at the cemetery. “Well, to honour these veterans,” Gillis said of the reason for the 805 Canadian flags. “It’s very important that we keep their memory alive. November 11 happens once a year. We want to recognize all those who are buried here for their service and their contribution.” On Saturday, a service was held on the grounds to honour the men and women buried there. For MacRury, seeing her son’s flag surrounded by all the others helps drive home a message that she hopes will not be lost on anyone else who visits. “It really touches your heart, and it really does make you step back and think, there really is a lot of sacrifices that have gone on behind these flags,” said MacRury. “There is somebody behind them and it’s really important that we remember.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
