The Veterans Parade marches down High Street to the Southampton cenotaph November 11.

Hub Staff

The Southampton community gathered around the Cenotaph by the hundreds November 11. Wrapped in warm clothing as a strong, cold wind blew down High Street, they paid their respects and commemorated the memory of those who fought and died for their country.

Marilyn Noble of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 155, Southampton led the service with the Veterans Parade marching down High Street to the Cenotaph and the Southampton Community Band playing the National Anthem, O Canada before the Last Post and two minutes of silence.

Officiating Chaplain, Reverand Keith Reynolds said it was a privilege to be at the annual ceremony again. “Crossing generations from children from GC Huston to elders in the community and many of us in between those years,” he said. “It's an important day for us to come together as a community but we also know it’s a difficult day. It’s a difficult day to put words together. It seems better somehow to share silence together.”

Noble said that because of the strong wind, only the larger of the wreaths were being laid by the Cenotaph. The Dominion of Canada, Province of Ontario, County of Bruce, Mayor and Council of Saugeen Shores, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 155 and Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary Branch 155, Saugeen Shores Police Department and Saugeen Shore Fire Department wreaths were lain with Noble reading a list of all the others.

After the wreaths and benediction, God Save the Queen was sung before the Colour Guard paraded down to the big flag. The parade then headed back up High Street to the Royal Canadian Legion.

After the ceremony, members of the community placed their own poppies on the wreaths as a mark of their own personal respect.

Saugeen Shores Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau placed the wreath on behalf of Bruce County.

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 155 President Marilyn Noble (L) and Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary Branch 155 President Wendy Kelly walk up to lay their wreaths at the Remembrance Day service in Southampton.

The Colour Guard marches back up to the Cenotaph from the big flag in Southampton November 11.

Following the ceremony, 3 year old Georgia Mousseau from Southampton was looking at the wreaths laid by the Cenotaph.

On the left, watched by her 4 year old brother Royal, Southampton's Vienne Hoy, age 7, pins a poppy to one of the wreaths. On the right, wreaths lay around the Southampton Cenotaph.