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Tuesday, November 13, 2018 | Your community n newspaper ewspaper ssince 1916

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE

John Scott, vice president of the Royal Canadian Legion BC/ Yukon Command, salutes as a bugler plays Reveille on Sunday as part of Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Ceremony marks 100th anniversary of end of First World War Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca Leave it to MLA Shirley Bond to bring us into the tick-infested, eight-foot deep trenches of a combat zone, standing in the muck up to our knees in the rain, eating moldy bread to demand we see – if only for a moment – the realities of war during the Remembrance Day ceremonies held at the Civic Centre Sunday morning. It was written all over her somber face as she quoted a short paragraph from Pierre Berton’s book Vimy. Bond was at the Remembrance Day event to honour those veterans that were present, and those who were left behind on the battle fields. “Lest we forget” suddenly meant something to each and every per-

son at the ceremony. We weren’t going to forget, thanks to Bond’s stark reminder. Bond was just one of many speakers at the Civic Centre ceremony that acknowledged the 100th anniversary of the First World War where about 200 people were on their feet as several hundred others were lucky enough to find a seat for the 90-minute event. “As we reflect on the 100th anniversary of the armistice, it is hard, if not impossible to imagine what it was like for those who fought and what they endured on our behalf,” Bond said, who went on to thank those who have and are serving in the military today. Other dignitaries who spoke during the ceremony included MP Todd Doherty, MLA Mike Morris, acting Mayor of Prince George Garth Frizell and Chief Dominic Frederick of the Lheidli T’enneh

First Nation. Then came a few words from Memorial Cross Mother Colleen Fitzpatrick who lost her son Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick on March 20, 2010 when he succumbed to injuries sustained in a bomb blast in Afghanistan where he had been serving as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based at CFB Edmonton. She emotionally talked about the toll war takes on those left behind and that having loved ones acknowledged during the Remembrance Day ceremonies helps. “It’s so meaningful to the families that their loved ones be remembered,” Fitzpatrick said. After more of the traditional ceremony took place, including the performance of Amazing Grace, the recitation of Flanders Fields, the Warriors’ Lament and the singing of the national anthem and the

royal anthem, those in attendance were invited to go to the temporary cenotaph placed in the middle of the street on Seventh Avenue, close to the Terry Fox Memorial. Thousands of people attended and when the Last Post was bugled and two minutes of silence were observed all eyes were raised as an RCAF Hawk aircraft from 419 Squadron flashed across the sky to honour those who have been affected by conflict and to acknowledge the armistice. A very emotional Robyn Holling stood at the back of the crowd at the temporary cenotaph in honour of generations of her family who have been affected by war. “I grew up in a military family,” Holling said, whose dad served in the regiment in New Westminster and her grandfather, who was in the Royal Air Force. “It’s just hard this year because my dad is not well,” Holling said.

Glen Holling now lives in Williams Lake and Robyn doesn’t get to see him as much as she’d like. “Being in a military family, this has been part of my whole life, right? So this just brings back memories of watching my dad in the parade so it’s just hard to be here without my family.” Holling said she watches documentaries about war at this time every year. “When you see what the people went through and the families and what they lost and you look at our young children – they have no idea,” Holling said. During the cenotaph ceremony there were children who were laughing and playing nearby, as parents were there to remember. “To see those children playing it was one of those happy and sad things,” Holling explained. “They don’t have a concept of it – and isn’t that great?”

Museum event promotes science, technology Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff It was all about getting your hands dirty at the The Exploration Place as children and adults discovered free STEAM on Saturday. That’s science, technology, engineering, art + design and mathematics for those of you who want to be in the know about the coolest things. John Adams brought grandsons Fletcher, 9, and Harrison, 6, to the museum to check out the Terry Fox exhibit called Running to the Heart of Canada, and happened upon STEAM Learning Ecosystems in the foyer. Harrison had just come from checking out the miniature bridges with Adams, while Fletcher was wrist deep in blue goop, also known as silly putty, that the UNBC chemistry lab guys were helping children create. Fletcher was taking his cue from Dylan Fossl from UNBC and seemed delighted by the process of making his own goop. “We’re having good fun,” Adams, who

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has a membership to The Exploration Jaclyn Baxter, Tech Up facilitator, took Place, said. the lead in organizing the STEAM activities “I love it that the kids can interact with at The Exploration Place. Science, technolstuff like this – that ogy, engineering, art way they learn more + design and mathWe see there are than they think they’re ematics are the fields learning.” that need focused gaps in these Adams also discovlearning, Baxter said. careers – where they “We see there are ered you’re never to old to learn a thing or are heading and what gaps in these careers two. – where they are kids are learning in their “I got some inforheading and what kids mation from Todd are learning in their earlier years. (Whitcombe, UNBC earlier years,” Baxter associate professor) — Jaclyn Baxter, said. about construction A high percentage Tech Up facilitator of jobs the current and I’m actually going to have to go home elementary-school and have a look at it,” Adams said. aged children will be doing have not even It’s all about old-time construction that been created yet, she added. included weaving willow branches and “So those will involve technology, codsecuring it with mud, Adams added. ing, different scientific methods, right?” “Not that I need to build anything like Baxter said. that but now that I’ve got a little tip I’m go“So there’s a huge gap between what ing to look into it,” Adams said. we’ve been teaching kids and what they

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need to know. So what STEAM Learning Ecosytems originated as was a way to get kids interested in these fields and to show that it is accessible and it’s not scary. It’s fun and we’re doing stuff like this to show them that they can do these things.” And there are careers that are geared toward all the activities showcased during the event, she added. There were several demonstrations including exploring different types of dirt, making silly putty, building a bridge that would actually stay put, and discovering the under bellies of insects. Children had the option to fill out a passport by completing six activities so they could be entered into a draw to win prizes. Some of the information booths included Science World, The Exploration Place, Two Rivers Gallery, Tech-Up Robotics, Dr. Luke Harris from the UNBC physiology deparment, Dr. Todd Whitcombe from UNBC chemistry department and Science Magic with The Exploration Place’s Science Guy, Christian.

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