Members of the Hemmingford Legion gathered around the cenotaph in the village on May 8 for a ceremony commemorating Victory in Europe or V-E Day, which marked the end of World War II in 1945.
Bagpipers led students from Hemmingford Elementary School and École Saint-Romain to the ceremony, which was also attended by four soldiers from the Royal Canadian Hussars, Hemmingford Village mayor Drew Somerville, and Hemmingford Township mayor Lucien Bouchard.
“The day of liberation lives on in the hearts and minds of many,” said Legion member Karl Kramell. He explained that the Legion continues to hold several ceremonies each year, including V-E Day and the upcoming Flag Day, when Legion members place Canadian flags at the 118 gravesites of veterans in Hemmingford, as well as National Peacekeepers Day on the Sunday closest to August 9, and Remembrance Day. “The reason that we do it today is so that the kids remember,” said Kramell.
National Youth Remembrance Contest winners
Hemmingford school children must be paying attention. A total of 11 students between the two schools were presented with certificates and medals for their entries in the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual National Youth Remembrance contest, which placed at the provincial level. Five students, including Jeanne Pontillon, Sophia Cetin Nightingale, Arielle Charest, Layla Stinson, and Ingrid Stairs, received gold medals for their poems, compositions, or posters. Their work will now go on to the national competition. (SR)