Castlegar’s Remembrance Day ceremony went on in spite of COVID-19.
The crowd was a bit smaller than previous years, but about 200 people still gathered at Kinsmen Park to show their respect and say thanks.
The majority of people at the ceremony wore masks and in most cases, people remained spaced far more than six feet apart.
The ceremony was abbreviated and had fewer participants compared to other years.
Trumpeter David Lefelaar and bagpiper Len Coates still played their mournful tunes. But there was no choir, no singing of O Canada — instead there was a recording of the anthem played through the speakers and silence from the crowd.
Once the event ended, the usual mingling was noticeably absent as people left the park to go their separate ways.
COVID-19 may have changed how we mark Remembrance Day, but it did not change the thankfulness Canadians feel for the freedoms we have today.
RELATED: Lest we forget: Castlegar’s Honour Role
betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
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