Remembrance Day ceremonies held throughout B.C.

Thousands gathered at ceremonies acrossBritish Columbiaon Monday tomark Remembrance Day andhonour armed forces members who died in service of their country.

The City of Vancouver heldits annual ceremony at the city's Victory Square.It wasthe100th time Remembrance Day has beencommemorated in front of the cenotaph at Victory Square, which was erected in 1924 at the corner of Hastings andCambiestreets to honour those who died in the First World War.

The event included a procession through the city, two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. PT, and a commemorativeflyover by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Percival J. Smith, a 101-year-old merchant navy veteran of the Second World War, was among those who gathered in downtown Vancouver for the ceremony.

Smith saidhe was glad to honour friends who gave their lives to theircountry during the Second World War, but hedoesn't know if his health will stand up to next year's ceremony at the memorial that was inaugurated the year after his birth.

Smith says he was in "terrible danger" during most of his service, but he and his shipmates didn't think of dying, but rather "what the next day was going to be like."

Danger aside,Smith said his service during the Second World War taughthim discipline and it was "the best time" of his life.

Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, the Royal Canadian Legion'sCloverdaleBranchheld anevent and procession at 10 a.m. at Surrey's Veterans Square.

In Victoria, the official provincial ceremony was held at the Parliament Buildings, as usual.It startedwith a parade at 10:30 a.m. PT, followed by a ceremony at the Victoria Cenotaph.

Retired Cpl. Neil Dancer, who served in Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion,Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, said the ceremony helps him deal with mental health issues connected to his military service.

"I ended up carrying a lot of responsibility over there and it really messed with my head over the years," he said.

"You live with the decisions you had to make. It's not always easy and that's why we show up here every year just so none of the kids that are here have to go through what any of us had to go through."

Other eventswereheld throughout B.C., with the legionmaintaining a listof some of them on its website.

AnIpsospoll conducted in October forHistoricaCanadashows that many Canadians areunaware of their historyahead of Remembrance Day, with some veterans saying it's more important than ever to remember veterans' sacrifices.

The same poll suggests an increasing number of Canadians intend to attend Nov. 11 events, though, with 37 per cent of respondents saying they will do so, upfrom around a quarter pre-pandemic.

WATCH | Remembrance Day commemorated in Vancouver's Victory Square:

CBC presents special coverage of Remembrance Day in Vancouver

2 days ago

Duration 1:29:46

CBC British Columbia presents special coverage of the Remembrance Day service from Victory Square in Vancouver on Nov. 11, 2024, as Canadians are called on to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by people who fought in Canada's wars.

"This sombre day is a reminder of the sacrifices of Canadians in two world wars and other conflicts around the globe. We also remember the price paid by their families," Premier DavidEbysaid in a news statement Monday

"Today, as we should every day, we remember the fallen who never came home. Lest we forget."