For the past century, large crowds have gathered at the downtown cenotaph on Remembrance Day to pay their respects.
But due to COVID-19, the Royal Canadian Legion is asking people to show respect in a different way this year by staying home and thinking of past sacrifices in a safe manner.
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions, so the Barrie legion will be holding its Remembrance Day ceremony in the upstairs hall of the St. Vincent Street facility to a limited small number of invited attendees. The ceremony will be broadcasted live on Rogers Cable TV and also streamed to the internet.
Branch historian Steve Glover says he has never heard of the legion not organizing an event at the local cenotaph before.
“I think back in the terms of history and I suppose the first Remembrance Day event would have been shortly after the end of the First World War and around the time of that era’s flu pandemic," Glover told BarrieToday. "But even then, I am not aware of any events being postponed or cancelled because of it."
The ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m., with no parade, marching or singing, according to guidelines laid out by the Legion Dominion Command.
Wreaths will be pre-laid at the Barrie Legion Cenotaph prior to the ceremony and brought to the downtown cenotaph at Memorial Square following the morning ceremony.
Glover says many people will think they are honouring veterans by gathering downtown despite the change of plans, but he hopes they stay away from the Dunlop Street space.
“We’re very cognizant that people think it will be cool to go down to the cenotaph. In fact, I have heard from someone I know that, even after I told her of the plans the legion has, she wants to go down to the cenotaph,” he said. “I don’t think that is the right thing to do, because even all masked up, there will be others thinking the same thing and before too long there are tons of folks.
“When you think about it, some of the most COVID-vulnerable people are the older generation who may have gone overseas. It doesn’t do them any good for an outbreak to happen from so many people gathering downtown,” Glover added.
Glover urges people to honour veterans by donating money to the Poppy Fund campaign, which will also look at little different this year.
“In terms of actual people standing outside with the boxes, there are obviously going to be rules and regulations around that in terms of social distancing,” he said. “More often than not, you would see a veteran with these boxes and seeing a veteran certainly reminds you why we give.
"It is just not safe or smart to have our veterans, who are of a vulnerable age, standing in public collecting money for the campaign," he added.
The poppy committee plans to distribute the poppy boxes to local businesses that are participating, beginning this Friday.
The LCBO is one location that has already stated to the legion that they do not want people standing outside, but will have donation boxes inside to help raise money.
Beginning Oct. 30, there will also be tap-enabled donation boxes at more than 250 locations across Canada, including some HSBC bank branches.
All of the money collected during the poppy campaign goes toward veterans and related programs, as well as organizations that support veterans and cadet corps.
The City of Barrie has been honouring fallen soldiers by featuring their pictures on flags displayed throughout Meridian Place and around the waterfront to Tiffin Street, as well as through the Barrie’s Fallen database on the city’s website.
If members of the community would like to lay a wreath at the Memorial Square cenotaph, they are asked to place their order with the Barrie Royal Canadian Legion by Nov. 4 or they can drop a wreath off at the Legion Hall between noon and 4 p.m. on Nov. 10 or prior to 9 a.m. on Nov. 11.
The wreaths will be respectfully placed at the cenotaph in downtown Barrie.
Anyone wishing to keep their wreath can pick it up from the cenotaph on Nov. 12.
Veterans also ride Barrie Transit free of charge, with one companion, all day on Remembrance Day by showing anything that identifies status as a veteran.
For more information on how to safely commemorate Remembrance Day, click here.
Ways to safely mark Remembrance Day from home
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Tune in to an online or televised ceremony (a livestream of a private, invite-only ceremony hosted by Barrie's Royal Canadian Legion Branch will be available on local media channel websites on Nov. 11)
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Observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.
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Wear a poppy and support the poppy campaign
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Learn about Remembrance Day and the stories of those we honour
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Reach out to a veteran by phone or email to say thank you
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Students can send a note to a veteran through Postcards for Peace
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Submit a photo of a relative or friend to be included on the Virtual Wall of Honour & Remembrance
