Capt. Eric Ogrodnick of the North Saskatchewan Regiment is pleased to see so many people in Saskatoon taking some time on Remembrance Day to honour the armed forces. Ogrodnick led the 97th Civic Square Remembrance Day ceremony outside City Hall, where the ceremony has been held since the cenotaph moved from its original location on 21st Street in 1957. “It’s humbling,” Ogrodnick said. “It’s a reminder of the giants that went before us, of the sacrifices and the heroes that have built this nation.” More than 100 people gathered for the brief ceremony. Among them was Bernie Ogrodnick, Eric’s dad, who was wearing a green D-Day bomber jacket he purchased during a family trip to Normandy last year. Bernie isn’t aware of many family members who served before Eric, but he made sure every year he would take his children to the Prince Albert Armoury on Remembrance Day. He sees the impact that would eventually have on Eric’s decision to join the armed forces. “It is a sacrifice for the entire family to see someone serve,” Bernie said. “I think it’s just a time to sit back and realize that our freedom is a very special gift for the people that have served for us.” Wednesday’s crowd included veterans, active service members, cadets and their families, who all approached the cenotaph to lay down their poppies after “God Save The King” ended the event, which featured a playing of the Last Post, followed by two minutes of silence. The silence was broken by the clock on the cenotaph striking 11 a.m., the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, when the Armistice was signed to end the fighting in the First World War in 1918. “It’s really heartening to me that it’s still one day in the year that everybody drops what they’re doing and takes a minute to remember our history and to honor our heroes,” Ogrodnick said.
