High Remembrance Day attendance prompts calls to change facilities

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

“I think that was the issue,” said Dionne. “So I think what they can do, and they did talk about this afterwards, is rent more chairs. They had everything that they had out but there would have been room to add more chairs if they had them.”

Reagan's first championship

Flin Flon Bombers win first championship in 33 years

7h ago

Second degree murder

Charges laid in homicide at Saskatchewan Penitentiary

13h ago

Fire investigation

Fire causes 'moderate' damage to house where stabbing occurred

13h ago

Dionne added the layout for service was changed this year, potentially adding to the confusion.

Regardless, the mayor was impressed with the turnout, saying he could remember being shocked by the lack of attendance 10 years ago.

“I just want to thank all the residents who came to Remembrance Day, I was really proud of the number of people that were there.”

Dionne pointed out that the pleasant weather may have led to an increase in attendance.

Royal Canadian Legion president Gary Renaud had the same theory.

“If the weather is good you’ve got a big turnout,” said Renaud. “If the weather is cold your turnout isn’t as good. I remember years back where, you know, it was 20 below out and there was still people coming, but the Armoury was never packed to overflowing.”

Renaud was unable to attend the service, having come down with the flu. He did, however, hear the Armoury entertained a full house this year.

He said moving the service to another facility would not be a simple task.

“If they did decide to move there’d be the expenses of renting a bigger facility,” said Renaud. “If you go into a place like an arena or something like that the ice would have to be covered.

“There’s a lot of detail that would have to go into a move and a lot of forethought made before a decision would be made to change it.”

Another issue is removing the Remembrance Day service from a place of such significance among veterans.

Renaud said the Armoury was built around the time of the First World War, and its history adds a little reverence to the ceremony.

“There’s a lot of memories around the armouries.”

jsperling@panow.com

On Twitter @jnsperling