The Shawnigan community gathered in sombre reflection on Saturday at a poignant Remembrance Day Ceremony.

 

The service included elements familiar to the community, including the recitation of In Flanders Fields and the reading of the 44 names of Shawnigan alumni who perished while serving in World War II. There were also new components, such as a dramatic reading by students of Letters from the Front.

 

Saturday's keynote address came from Lt.-Col. Stephen Joudrey, who spoke about a military career that has spanned 34 years and included deployments throughout Canada as well as in Norway, Bosnia, Croatia and Afghanistan. Lt.-Col. Joudrey touched on some of the friends he has lost throughout his career, and likened them to the names commemorated in the Shawnigan chapel. "They are not just names on a sheet of paper," he said. "It's important that we all remember. You may not remember all the names, but you need to remember that men and women before us did these wonderful things."

 

The service also included a pair of moving musical offerings, as Mikayla B., Spencer N. and Bronson C. performed Ed Sheeran's I See Fire and Mr. Jack Connolly sang Unknown Soldier – a powerful song he wrote in tribute to Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and those who continue to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa.

 

At the conclusion of the service, the congregation gathered in the quad, where hundreds of white crosses bore the names of family members affected by conflict. The 'Remember Project' ended as students pinned their poppies onto the crosses and reflected on the sacrifices made by those who served their country.