Vancouver holds 101st Remembrance Day ceremony

Vancouver’s Remembrance Day ceremony was held at the Victory Square Cenotaph for the 101st year, drawing a crowd of thousands.

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Vancouver Monday to observe the 101^st Remembrance Day ceremony at the Victory Square cenotaph, paying their respects to the Canadian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Vancouver’s Remembrance Day ceremony has been observed at Victory Square since 1924, without interruption, making it the oldest annual ceremony in the city.

Officials estimate upwards of 15,000 people attend each year, rain or shine.

This year’s ceremony comes 80 years after the end of the Second World War. Veterans Affairs Canada estimates that as of this year, there are 3,691 living Canadian veterans of the war— 667 women and 3,024 men.

Capt. Rev. Kenneth Lo acknowledged the anniversary before reading the Prayer of Remembrance.

“I would like to use this time to express our gratitude to all veterans and our deployed soldiers who sacrifice themselves for our country,” he said.

“Thank you for your service in the past and present so that we can enjoy this land today, free and safe.”

The sorrowful sound of bugle call The Last Post was followed by a two-minute silence and 21-gun salute at 11 a.m.

The recipient of the Cam Cathcart Youth Poem of Remembrance Award performed an original work, chosen from submissions by students across the city as part of an annual competition to engage young people in the ceremony.

The poetry award was created by its namesake – who served as Vancouver’s director of ceremonies for 18 years before his death in 2021.

This year’s winner was Angela Chen, a Grade 12 student from Lord Byng Secondary School.

Mayor Ken Sim presented Chen with a certificate and bursary, thanking her for her composition.

“Through your words you’ve honoured everyone who has made sacrifices so we can live in peace and freedom,” Sim said. “You’ve helped us embrace the spirit of remembrance and for that we are grateful.”

The full poem follows.

Alone Without a Goodbye

by Angela Chen

Boots soaked of blood and rain,

body stained by sorrow and pain.

Alone he shall stay in the Midst of blades.

He no longer may rest without the sounds

of gunshots, of grenades, or of screams.

Young and scared, he was,

as warmth and wet seeped

through his chest,

as salty stream flowed down his cheeks,

and as her name spilled from his lips.

And despite his wish, he shall rest with

no farewell bid,

no prayer given, and

no name placed upon his face.

No one would grieve till the war is over,

no body would be found till years later.

No coffin made, no grave dug,

no service done for the soldier son.

Alone he fell in the drenched mud.

Alone until he becomes

faceless, voiceless, nameless.

Alone as his gaze grew

distant, fixed, then absent.

Then he shall fall,

thrown trench to ditch,

pained to numbed,

chaos to tranquility.

Piled high.

Entangled limbs of blood and flesh,

And red stained green wools,

then bones.

Bones of a son, husband, father.

Of he who could not say goodbye.

With files from Andrew Weichel and The Canadian Press