102-year-old Victor Osbourne pays his respects at the cenotaph in Nanaimo following a smaller, but equally poignant service on Wednesday, Nov. 11. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LEST WE FORGET

VIDEO: Small crowd gathers to honour fallen at annual Remembrance Day service in Nanaimo

Nov 11, 2020 | 12:49 PM

NANAIMO — A small and physically distanced crowd of around 250 people gathered around the cenotaph in downtown Nanaimo on Wednesday to pay their Remembrance Day respects.

COVID-19 scaled down many of the more traditional aspects of the service such as the wreath laying, which took place before the morning service.

Archdeacon Brian Evans, padre at Branch 10 legion in Nanaimo, said during the service Remembrance Day services are vitally important to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in war time.

“Today we take time to remember that peace is important, that life is important, that our world and the needs of our world are important and that world we share in needs to be treasured,” Evans said.

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He paid tribute to not only soldiers who travelled overseas, but also those who stayed behind including wives and mothers who saw their men go off to war and worked on the homefront.

“They saw their young men and women go off to another part of the world, some of them would never be seen again, some would come home wounded, some would come home and be part of this community that we share here today and be our leaders amongst us…they too paid their supreme sacrifice.”

The cenotaph itself was roped off with less than 50 people allowed inside to adhere to provincial health orders.

Streets around the cenotaph were closed to vehicle traffic to allow people to appropriately distance during the ceremony.

The service also doubled as a birthday celebration for Nanaimo’s 102-year-old Victor Osbourne who was born on the day of the Armistice in 1918.

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