Two Remembrance Day Ceremonies are expected to take place in Grande Prairie on Thursday, with events at both the Bonnetts Energy Centre and Jubilee Park Cenotaph welcoming back in-person crowds.
The ANAVETS will be hosting their annual parade and ceremony at the Cenotaph starting at approximately 10:45 a.m. Thursday morning. ANAVETS Charity Officer Don Sharpe says it will be nice to be able to return to what would be considered a more normal ceremony, as the COVID-19 pandemic prohibited in-person gatherings in 2020. He adds it is vital that younger generations continue to keep the tradition of Remembrance Day going strong and continue to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“We will be gathering at the Trinity Lutheran church about 500 yards north of the cenotaph, marching down 100 Street, then into the Cenotaph where we will hold the ceremony at 11 a.m.,” he says.
“It’s very important to remember what everything everyone takes for granted these days, may not be the case if the war didn’t turn out the way it did,” he adds.
At the Bonnetts Energy Centre, the indoor ceremony will open to the public at 9:45 p.m., with the service set to begin at 10:45. The COVID-19 Restriction Exemption Program is in effect at the Bonnetts Energy Centre, which means anyone aged 12 and older in attendance will be required to provide proof of vaccination, a recent negative test result, or documentation of medical exemption. Masks are also mandatory inside the facility.
