Members of the military were in the front row for the Remembrance Day service at the Prince Albert Armoury. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Lest We Forget

Full house for Remembrance Day service in P.A.

Nov 11, 2019 | 3:17 PM

Lest we forget.

An estimated 1,100 people packed the Prince Albert Armoury Monday for the annual Remembrance Day service.

Despite the -20 C temperature outside, the ceremony attracted people of all ages including numerous uniformed personnel including Army veterans and current service members, Navy, P.A. Police, P.A. RCMP, Saskatchewan RCMP, and Cadets , to name just a few.

The ceremony began with the marching in of the colours and parade followed by the singing of O’ Canada. After the prayer of invocation some of the highlights included the playing of the last post and two minutes of silence. The North Saskatchewan Regiment conducted their gun salute firing out of the side of the building.

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There was also the laying of the wreaths and scripture readings from Pauline Mooney and Lorraine Gobeil. A member of the Cadets read the poem “In Flanders Fields” for the audience.

The playing of the Last Post. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

“I talked to my soldiers this morning and reminded them it’s about today and being here to remember everybody,” Captain Al Rishchynski said. “Maybe one single person in your life that made a huge difference that was a veteran but now it’s to remember all of the veterans today.”

Rishchynski is still serving in the military having started in 1981. He said when he was a young soldier Remembrance Day didn’t mean quite as much as it does now.

“When I returned from Afghanistan, I lost quite a few of my friends over there and it makes a huge difference now,” he said. “And then seeing the sacrifice the generations before then did, [it] makes a difference.”

The North Saskatchewan Regiment performs the gun salute firing their weapons outside of the Armoury. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

Ramsay Bellisle, the Regimental Sergeant Major for the North Saskatchewan Regiment, who also served in the war in Afghanistan, said both of his grandfathers were in the Second World War.

“[In] 2006 Remembrance Day changed when we do the moment of silence, I now have friends that were killed in Afghanistan,” he said. “During the moment of silence that’s when you remember them.”

Ramsay said he had five members of his company killed overseas.

“When I put on the poppy that is my two weeks to remember the guys and then after that I need to be able to move on otherwise it’s a really bad year,” Ramsay explained.

He said in the military when you’re overseas, you get to know a lot of fellow soldiers because they’re together most of the time.

“It’s almost like we’re married to them,” Bellisle said. “We’re in close quarters, we know everything about each other.”

Hundreds of people showed up to the Prince Albert Armoury for the Remembrance Day service. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

Ed Laird lays a wreath at the Remembrance Day ceremony. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

Soldiers salute during the Remembrance Day ceremony in Prince Albert. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

Al Rishchynski leads the way during the march off of the colours and Parade. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

Editor’s note: The original version of this story estimated the attendance at 650 but organizers estimate is was closer to 1,100.

Ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @iangustafson12