Hundreds gather to pay respects during Charlottetown's Remembrance Day ceremony
CBC
Hundreds gathered to honour the sacrifice of P.E.I.'s veterans during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph in downtown Charlottetown.
The ceremony was live streamed here on the CBC P.E.I. website as well as on our Facebook page.
Participants including local politicians and military representatives arrived around 10:30.
The service began at 10:50, led by Maj. Rev. Tom Hamilton, who is Legion padre for the P.E.I. Regiment and leads the congregation at St. Mark's Presbyterian church in Charlottetown.
O'Canada was played around 10:57 with the Last Post at 10:59. Following that, there was two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., then prayer and laying of wreaths at the foot of the cenotaph.
Hamilton's speech focused on an Islander's experience during the Dieppe Raid in France in August of 1942, — which was supposed to be a short, successful raid that turned into a bloody battle with horrific Canadian casualties, Hamilton says.
Flight Sgt. Sterling Banks, an Islander flying a Hurricane Hawker Fighter, was tasked with providing air cover for soldiers storming the beach. He never made it home. He lies buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Abbeville, France.
"As you observe Remembrance Day, by taking time to stop and give thanks, you are providing dignity to all who served and particularly to those who did not return like Flight Sergeant Sterling Banks," Hamilton said.
The service wrapped up by 11:30 a.m.