Remembrance Day in Vanier
Posted Nov 20, 2009 By Desmond Devoy
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Desmond Devoy, Ottawa East EMC
Diane Dore, President of Ottawa's French Catholic school board, and a Vanier resident, lays a wreath on behalf of her board's students and staff.
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Desmond Devoy, Ottawa East EMC
A colourful military procession made its way to the cenotaph on the afternoon of November 11, comprised of representatives from all of the military services.
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EMC News - Veterans, dignitaries, the young and the old, gathered at the cenotaph at the intersection of Marier and Dagmar Avenues in Vanier last week to honour the sacrifices made by the former city's fallen. 
Desmond Devoy, Ottawa East EMC
Ottawa Police Chief Vernon White pays his respects at the Vanier cenotaph, laying a wreath for the war dead on behalf of his officers and civilian staff.
Around 2 p.m., following the ceremonies at the National War Memorial in Centretown, a parade made its way up Dagmar Avenue from the Royal Canadian Legion post, 294 Cyr Avenue. Bathed in brilliant, late autumn sunshine, on an unseasonably warm day, unlike chilly November 11ths past, the parade comprised of dignitaries from all levels of government, all branches of the military, cadets and members of the Ottawa Police Service.
The parade encircled the cenotaph, which had once been located in front of the old Vanier City Hall, and honours the lives of the six Eastview - as Vanier was then called - men who died in service during World War I (1914-1918), the 26 Eastview men who died during World War II (1939-1945) and the final, single Eastview resident to die in combat in the last centry, during the Korean War (1950-1953).
The official delegations stood at attention, facing the cenotaph on a blocked-off portion of Dagmar Avenue, a sea of red and black poppies, row on row, marking the remembrance. Behind them, Vanier residents and school children looked on.
A number of local politicians, such as Ottawa-Vanier MPP Madeleine Meilleur, Ward 12 (Rideau-Vanier) and Ward 13 (Rideau-Rockcliffe) City Councillors Georges Bedard and Jacques Legendre respectively, as well as Ottawa Police Chief Vernon White, were in attendance to lay wreaths on behalf of their levels of government and organizations. (Ottawa-Vanier MP Mauril Belanger was unable to attend due to an emergency in his family.)
Other Vanier institutions, from Centre Pauline Charron to Action Vanier to the Friends Bingo parlour, also laid wreaths in front of the granite cenotaph, which was guarded by a troupe of army cadets.
On November 11, Vanier did not forget.
ddevoy@thenowemc.ca
