Hundreds of Sooke residents gathered in front of the Royal Canadian Legion Monument on Friday to honor and remember Canada’s war dead.
Prime Minister John Hogan, Mayor Maya Tate and Sooke City Councillors all attended the special ceremony.
Ted Davis, chairman of the Royal Canadian Legion (54th Division), said the recent death of Queen Elizabeth showed that few World War II veterans were still alive.
“Going forward, the focus is on our remaining veterans and our military and the RCMP who are still serving,” he said.
About 116,000 Canadian soldiers died in wars from the Second Boar War in South Africa to Afghanistan. The deadliest conflict was World War I, with 68,000 lives lost.
More than 1,400 communities across the country held ceremonies honoring those who served the country.
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Memorial Day
Suker mounted police in red serge. (Kevin Laird-Sook News Mirror)
The Memorial Day Parade marches down Otter Point Road in Sooke. Hundreds of people paid tribute to veterans and Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the war on Memorial Day. (Kevin Laird-Sook News Mirror)
Wreaths adorn Sooke’s monument after Friday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Sooke. (Kevin Laird-Sook News Mirror)