Small Remembrance Day service planned for Prince Albert

Daily Herald File photo Comrade Bob Mooney reads the honour roll during the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Prince Albert Armoury in 2019. For the second straight year, organizers say there will be no large public ceremony at the armoury due to COVID-19. There will, however, be a smaller, shorter ceremony outside City Hall

Remembrance Day ceremonies in Prince Albert are going to be a little more intimate in 2021.

The Prince Albert Legion announced on Thursday that instead of the traditional ceremony at the Prince Albert Armoury, there will be a smaller ceremony at Memorial Square outside City Hall.

Legion President and Remembrance Day Committee Chair Rick Hodgson explained that the Armoury is still not available for use.

“We couldn’t get into the armoury, so we just decided to go to a small service outside,” Hodgson explained.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, all personal and business wreaths will be pre-laid ahead of the ceremony.

“COVID is still an issue with gatherings, so we are actually going to have a quiet one,” Hodgson said. “We will advertise that we are having one, but it is up to the public if they want to come and attend.

“It is going to be a fast and short service. There will not be laying of personal wreaths. We are staying away from that.”

The only live wreaths to be laid are the Memorial Wreath and the wreaths of both the Legion and the ANAVETS.

Hodgson explained that it will be slightly larger than 2020, when they held a service with only Legion members in attendance.

“We are going to be outside, but it’s going to be depending on the weather,” Hodgson said.

“Last year we made sure we did something too, even through COVID-19 and this year we are doing something again. It’s going to be a service outside and a little bit longer and a little bit bigger but not our big usual one.”

The public is asked to arrive by 10:30 a.m. and bring their own chair. At 10:55 a.m. will be the colour party march on the colours, 11 a.m. will be the playing of the Last Post followed by a minute of silence. This is followed by the Honour Roll, Act of Remembrance and Closing Prayer.

The final act will see the colour party march off the colours.

Hodgson hopes to see Remembrance Day return to regular pomp and circumstance next year.

“Hopefully next year we can get back to our big main service and get everybody involved with the military and the cadets and all that, but this year it is not going to happen,” he said.

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