County encourages residents to remember veterans throughout November

Several initiatives and activities are planned throughout November to honour those who have served and continue to serve to defend peace.

“Remembrance Day on November 11 and Indigenous Veterans Day on November 8 are traditionally the occasions when we pause to honour the men and women of our Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives during times of war. However, there is more that we must do to honour those members of our community who have served or sacrificed their lives for our freedom,” Mayor Steve Ferguson says. “I am pleased to see the municipality working with community partners including our wonderful local Royal Canadian Legion branches to start moving toward a month-long commemoration, and I look forward to this program building in the coming years.”

The County has installed “Lest We Forget” banners on streetlight poles in Picton and Consecon in memory of local veterans. The banners will be displayed during November. The Consecon branch of the Royal Canadian Legion has installed, with County assistance, banners that feature the pictures of local veterans.

A special Month of Remembrance exhibit at Macaulay Church in Picton is open to the public from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, Wednesday through Saturday in November. The display highlights a collection of First World War and Second World War-era items on loan from the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment Museum in Belleville. These items, complemented by others from the Macaulay collection, speak to the rich history of the Hastings Prince Edward Regiment, and the contributions and sacrifices made by those from Prince Edward County, both at home and overseas, during wartime. Click here to learn more.

The Bloomfield library is hosting a reading of The Boy Solider at 2:00 pm on November 11. The book tells the story of Robert Clarence Thompson of Hillier, a 13-year-old farm boy who ran away from home and enlisted in the army to fight in the First World War. Click here to learn more.

Residents are encouraged to visit Have Your Say to contribute photos and/or stories of friends and loved ones who have fought and served for our country. The County will leave the page open for the month of November so residents can read about the community members who sacrificed their lives for us.

Flags will be lowered on November 8 and November 11 at municipal buildings, community centres, parks and firehalls where there are flag poles. Shire Hall will be illuminated in red during the month of November.

Poppy boxes are available at the customer service desks in municipal offices and at local businesses in support of the local Royal Canadian Legions’ annual Poppy Campaign.

The County encourages everyone to take a moment to pause, reflect, and observe a moment of silence at 11:00 am on Friday, November 11. The public is welcome to attend a wreath laying ceremony at the following cenotaphs in the County:

Picton:
A service will begin at the Picton War Memorial/Cenotaph (118 Picton Main Street) on November 11 at 11:00 am. The formation will begin at 10:30 am.

Large crowds are anticipated for the ceremony and road closures will be in place to ensure residents’ safety during the ceremony. There will be no parade. Click here for more information on the road closures.

Wellington:
A ceremony will begin at 10:00 am on November 11 at the Wellington United Church (245 Wellington Main Street) followed by a wreath laying ceremony at 11:00 am at the Cenotaph in Wellington Park. No road closures are required for this ceremony.

Consecon:
A ceremony will be held at 10:45 am on November 11 at the Consecon Legion/Cenotaph (184 County Road 29 in Consecon). No road closures are required for this ceremony.

For more information, contact the County of Prince Edward at 613.476.2148 extension 1023, 613.962.9108 extension 1023, or info@pecounty.on.ca.