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2025 Remembrance Day Section - North Wellington Community News

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Remembrance Day

4 | NORTH WELLINGTON COMMUNITY NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2025

November Eleventh

Remembrance Day North Wellington men made the ultimate sacrifice ROBIN GEORGE REPORTER WELLINGTON COUNTY – Many Wellington County residents died while fighting for the Canadian military during the Second World War. Those soldiers left loved ones behind and some have family members still residing in Mapleton, Minto and Wellington North. Information about the following local fallen soldiers from was complied from information on Veteran Affairs Canada’s Canadian Virtual War Memorial. S. Verdun Woyce Flight Sergeant Stanley Verdun Woyce grew up in Palmerston. His parents were James and Annie Woyce and his aunt was Jos. Woyce. He enlisted in February 1941. Woyce trained at Manning Pool, then graduated from Guelph Wireless School in 1942, making him a qualified wireless operator, and then graduated from Jarvis in March 1942.

S VERDUN WOYCE PALMERSTON

MICHAEL GAFFNEY KENILWORTH

ROSS GARDINER MOUNT FOREST

THOMAS BERTRAM BORTON PALMERSTON

RUSSELL HALL HARRISTON

He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and went overseas in April of 1942. He was reported missing on Jan. 8, 1943, after a Lancaster aircraft bomber he was on failed to return to its base after a raid on Ruhr Valley in Germany. Woyce was 26 years old when he went missing. He is buried in Runnymede Memorial cemetery in Surrey, England and his name is engraved on the Palmerston cenotaph.

Wilfred Wolf Pilot Officer Wilfred Lawrence Wolf was from Palmerston. His parents were Jacob and Margaret Wolf. Jacob died in 1926, when Wilfred was about four years old. Wilfred was the youngest of six children. His siblings were John, Robert, Stewart, Mary and Fanny Wolf. Fanny died in 1918, before Wilfred was born. Wolf was flying on the Lancaster bomber of 432 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air

Force, based at East Moor in Yorkshire, England when it crashed near Aldborough on Feb. 2, 1944. According to a plaque in Aldborough honouring Wolf and the six other people on the plane, “Their aircraft, on a cross-country training flight, had caught fire and was losing height when the pilot, with great skill, managed to avoid the village and instead came down on Studforth Hill, a short distance to the south.” Wolf was 20 years old when

he died. The others were all between 20 and 24 years old. He is buried in the Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery in Yorkshire, England and his name is engraved on the Palmerston cenotaph. Robert Caldwell Little Flight Sergeant Robert Caldwell Little was a wireless air gunner in the Royal Canadian Air Force who went to elementary and high school in Arthur. He was born on a farm near Caledon and had five brothers

and two sisters. Before joining the military Little worked for the Royal Bank in Arthur, St. Thomas, Chatham and Strathroy. Little trained for the Air Force at Jarvis and for his wireless badge in Quebec. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and went overseas in May of 1942. “In ... letters home, he told of visiting interesting places in many parts of the British Isles,” stated an article in the Toronto

On this Remembrance Day,

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Grateful for our veterans. Recognizing all fallen soldiers.

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Tuesday, November 11

WILFRED WOLF PALMERSTON

ROBERT CALDWELL LITTLE ARTHUR

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JOHN BURNS MALLETT PALMERSTON

RAY COLQUHOUN MOOREFIELD

VICTOR INNANEN ARTHUR

Some locals lied about age to serve in WWII » FROM PAGE 4

Telegram. According to an article in the Toronto Star, Little’s mother believed the flight on which he died was his first operational flight, “as his last letter stated that he had just arrived in the Mediterranean and until then had not been on operational duty.” Little is buried in the Malta Memorial Cemetery in Malta. Thomas Bertram Borton Private Thomas Bertram Borton was the son of W. Roy and Lillian M. J. Borton of Palmerston. He was married to Thelma J. Borton from Haliburton and worked at the Palmerston Creamery before enlisting. He first went overseas on February 1944, initially as a member of the Central Ontario Regiment. Borton then served with a medical unit of the Second Battallion of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. He was 24 years old when

he was killed in action in Italy in May 23, 1944. Borton is buried in the Cassino War Cemetery in Italy and his name is engraved on the Palmerston cenotaph. Victor Innanen Private Victor Innanen was born in Arthur on April 2, 1926. He went primary school at U.S.S. #17, Arthur and Minto Lot 19, Conc. 12 in the 1930s. His parents were Alex and Ida Innanen. He was 15 years old when he enlisted in the Canadian military in London, Ontario on Feb. 12, 1942. His real name was Victor Innanen but he served as Victor Coja. He was 17 years old when he was killed in action on Jan. 11, 1944. He is buried in the Cassino War Cemetery in Italy and his name is engraved on the Harriston cenotaph. Michael Gaffney Trooper Michael John Gaffney was the son of Felix Cuthbert and Mary Gertrude

Brown Gaffney of Kenilworth. He served in the 27th division of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. Gaffney died of wounds sustained in combat on Aug. 12, 1944 and was memorialized in the Globe and Mail. He was 23 years old. Gaffney is buried in the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, about four kilometres from Juno Beach in Normandy, France. His name is engraved on the Arthur cenotaph. Ashford Herbert Burrough Rifleman Ashford Herbert Burrough served with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. His parents were William Herbert and Emma Burrough of Palmerston. He died on Dec. 12, 1944, and is buried in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands. Herbert Burrough’s name is engraved on the Palmerston cenotaph.

John Burns Mallett Sergeant John Burns Mallett was a flight engineer in the Royal Canadian Air Force who served in the 57 Royal Air Force Squadron. His parents were Frederick Thomas Mallett and Mary Luella Burns Mallett of Palmerston. John was 24 years old when he died. He is buried in the Scampton St. John the Baptist Churchyard in Lincolnshire, England and his name is engraved on the Palmerston cenotaph. Ross Gardiner Leading Aircraftman Ross Ernest Gardiner was from Mount Forest and served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was married to Elizabeth Patricia Gardiner (nee Armstrong), and his parents were Edgar Ernest and Bertha Matilda Gardiner. He died on Dec. 20, 1945. He is buried in the Brookwood Military cem-

etery in Surrey, England and his name is engraved on the Mount Forest cenotaph. Ray Colquhoun Sergeant Ray Ormond Colquhoun was the son of Enos and Angeline Colquhoun of Moorefield. Colquhoun died on Feb. 11, 1942, and was memorialized in the Globe and Mail. He is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, England. His name is engraved on the Drayton cenotaph. Russell Hall Corporal Russell Lloyd Hall served in the Royal Regiment of Canada in the Royal Canadian Infantry Core. He was married to Irene E. Hall, of Harrison, and his parents were George and Mary Hall. Hall died on Feb. 19, 1945, at 27 years old. He is buried in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands. His name is engraved on the Harriston cenotaph.

ASHFORD HERBERT BURROUGH PALMERSTON


Remembrance Day

6 | NORTH WELLINGTON COMMUNITY NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2025

OPINION: Mother Canada would be proud of proud Canadians BOB STUBBINGS CONTRIBUTOR FERGUS – I look out from the ridge at Vimy and I mourn. I mourn for those of you who gave your all in what you have called your Great War. I grieve the loss of those who have perished in your many conflicts since, for you are all my cherished children. As your mother of forty million, I have watched you grow within the safety of my shores and am joyed by what you have accomplished. You have embraced my distinctive character and spirit of resilience, self-reliance, perseverance and determination, and made them your own. Your resolve gives proof of your love and devotion to me, a quality you express as patriotism. No one or no country has a monopoly on patriotism in peacetime. It is during a time of war when the fibre of a nation’s patriotism is revealed. For a war to be won, the leadership of a warring country requires a nation of true believers, citizens with an unwavering belief in their cause. Governments at war always speak in lofty terms to appeal to their citizens. However, without a truly committed population, you my children, the outcome is predictable. Your patriotic allegiance demands a deep personal obligation not only to me, but also to all of your brothers and sisters. Those of you who are true

patriots place my interest above your own and celebrate your collective culture, language and history. BOB I have witSTUBBINGS nessed your personal selflessness become your communities’ rallying cry for unity as you stand up against your adversaries near and far. I have watched how you respond in the wake of major civil catastrophes and your collective resistance when exposed to foreign imposed hardships. It so pleases me to call you mine. I know your commitment to me is most severely tested in battle. Those of you who step up to bear arms in my name, personify this devotion to duty. This includes all of you who have served as well as those of you who serve today. To me you are all heroes, for while your families understandably mark the sacrifice of those of you who fell in named and numbered wars over my 158 years, I embrace you all equally as only a mother can. Your impulse of heroism for my welfare is widespread amongst your ranks and is the most noble of the motives that shine through the darkness of war. Your achievements have shown the world what it means to be Canadian. You are the honourable reserve of your country’s consciousness, looked upon by all in admira-

tion. Many of you are reluctant to show your patriotism to me. Unknowing skeptics might interpret this to mean it does not exist. They would be mistaken. Boastfulness is not in your nature; modesty, particularly regarding your exploits on the battlefield, is. You are an unmilitary community, yet once committed have always been recognized by friend and foe as brave warriors. I have heard it said that the virtues of patriotism diminish in the absence of war and given sufficient peacetime, are apt to fade away. I do not believe this to be true of you, my children, for your “Elbows Up” expresses your honest sentiment of pride without arrogance. How do I measure your devotion to me? You, yourself are the gauge. Your Canadian identity is found in your past, but is manifested by your present-day deeds. Your measured patriotism is to the values preserved in your heritage, including integrity, respectfulness and openness; not those falsely guised as expressed nationalism to me. Because your support of your country is a personal experience, the most important things each of you can do for me is to step up and hold yourself accountable. Your actions are not implemented because someone stipulates them to you. While it is fine to be motivated by another’s example, your patriotism to me comes

Lest We Forget

from within yourselves, without fanfare, as would be expected from a true Canadian. Leading without shouting garners the most attention from your siblings. As I look east from my view at

Vimy, my eyes weep in gratitude as I hear the echo of your collective voices singing out your anthem to me. I hear your dedication of true patriot love for me as well as to stand on guard of my shores and my values. I sense your shared commitment of unconditional loyalty to your mother. Thank you, my children, for being proud Canadians. You all matter to me. Mother Canada *** Bob Stubbings is a member of the Fergus Legion.

We will

remember

The proper way to wear a poppy OTTAWA – Wearing a poppy at Remembrance Day is a way to show respect and gratitude to war veterans both living and dead. According to the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Headquarters, there’s a right way and wrong way to do it. From its website: “The poppy should be worn with respect on the left side, over the heart. “The Legion’s lapel poppy is a sacred symbol of Remembrance and should not be affixed with any pin that obstructs the poppy. “Also available through some branches is the Legion’s reusable black centre poppy pin to affix your lapel poppy. “The lapel poppy should be worn during the Remembrance period, from the last Friday in October until November 11. “The Legion encourages the wearing of poppies at funerals of veterans, and for any commemorative event such as a memorial service, or the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.”

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Tuesday, November 11

NOVEMBER 6, 2025 | NORTH WELLINGTON COMMUNITY NEWS | 7

Students will recognize Remembrance Day at school

“

I feel it is my duty to remember and appreciate their sacrifice and share some of their stories in hopes that we never have to go through that again - KEN KIVELL

community, the elementary schools in the area and the two Legions that have fostered this appreciation. “Both the Arthur and Mount Forest Legions do a fantastic job of reaching out to schools and assisting us in any activities that we do at our local schools. “They organize the Legion poster/literary contest as well as the ceremonies at the cenotaphs among many other activities.” Norwell District Secondary School students and staff in Palmerston will be honouring veterans on Nov. 10. Norwell’s Arts Performance Project and theatre students will present Stand Together in honour of Indigenous Veterans’ Day and Remembrance Day. “It is a mixed media presentation that includes live action, music and film and reflects upon Canada’s involvement in military conflicts throughout history and our continued presence as a peacekeeping force all over the world,” Norwell staff member Mackenzie Norman told the Community News. “Stand Together will be presented in the morning for the Norwell student body and again at 1:30pm for local public schools and surrounding community.” The free event will be performed in the EC Gray Auditorium at the school. Many schools are welcoming special guests, including local Legion members and speakers from the National Speakers Program. Students across grades are also engaging in local ceremonies. For example, some Grade 7 and 8 classes will attend services at their community cenotaphs, while younger students will participate in school-based ceremonies that may include

The board’s Indigenous Education team has prepared resources to support educators in teaching about Indigenous Veterans Day (Nov. 8) and the

important contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Veterans. Catholic schools At the Wellington Catholic District School Board, spokesperson Bianca Pettinaro said “All of our schools will be recognizing Remembrance Day through a variety of activities, assemblies, liturgies and inclass learning.” At Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School, a Remembrance Day flag raising ceremony was held on Oct. 31. “Students who are cadets [were to] take part in the ceremony, and the flag will remain raised for most of the month,” Pettinaro stated in an email. The school also set to hold a Remembrance Day liturgy on Nov. 11. At Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) Catholic High School students are set to visit the Sleeman Centre for the City of Guelph’s Remembrance Day ceremony. OLOL will also hold its annual veteran’s panel on Nov. 6.

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I’d like liketototake takethis this opportunity to thank all those I’d opportunity to thank all those who who ourand freedom. Please know your bravery and sacrifice have and whocontinue continue to serve our country and defend have who to serve our country and defend have not gone unnoticed today or anyand day.and our freedom. Please know your bravery sacrifice our freedom. know your bravery I’d like to takePlease this opportunity to thank allsacrifice those who havenot notgone goneunnoticed unnoticed today or any have today or any day. day.

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songs, morning music, bulletin board displays and shared moments of silence. In some communities, staff are partnering with local groups such as local Optimist Clubs to help plan Remembrance Day events that bring students and families together.

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WELLINGTON COUNTY – Students at public and Catholic schools in Wellington County will recognize Remembrance Day in a variety of ways next week. Upper Grand District School Board spokesperson Heather Loney said “Schools and departments ... are honouring Remembrance Day through meaningful learning and reflection.” From Nov. 10 to 14, students will take part in assemblies, classroom activities and community events to recognize the service and sacrifices of veterans. At Wellington Heights Secondary School (WHSS) in Mount Forest, the Remembrance Day flag will fly and white crosses will be set up on the lawn to represent veterans who did not return from the First and Second World Wars. Each cross has the name of a veteran from the Arthur and Mount Forest areas, and those names are also engraved on a plaque inside the school. Canadian and world studies teacher Ken Kivell organizes the Remembrance Day activities, along with support from teacher Colton Wallace this year. Kivell said the veterans’ plaque was “created by former history teacher Ian Turner who saw this as an opportunity to bring the two school communities together when the Arthur and Mount Forest high schools amalgamated.” On Nov. 11, students from the high school will attend services in Mount Forest and Arthur and lay a wreath at both cenotaphs. Principal Brent Bloch told the Community News Kivell “does an outstanding job.” Kivell said it’s important to him to offer Remembrance Day activities to the students because he sees his generation as the last to have been part of first-hand conversations with veterans about the horrors of war. “Many of the younger generation will never get that opportunity,” he said. Kivell’s grandfather was part of the Canadian Navy and saw action in the North Atlantic during the Second World War. “I feel it is my duty to remember and appreciate their sacrifice and share some of their stories in hopes that we never have to go through that again,” he said. “There are many parts of Remembrance Day that are important, but I feel that it is a time to appreciate the fact that

what we have in Canada has been earned and it came at a very high cost.” WHSS secondary students are very receptive and respectful of the messages of Remembrance Day, Kivell noted, which he said “is a tribute to the Wellington North

to those who serve and have served. We remember the fallen and are grateful for our freedom.

1920914CN

ROBIN GEORGE GEORGIA YORK REPORTERS

THANK YOU

Desjardins, Desjardins Insurance and and related trademarks are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec,du used under licence. Desjardins, Desjardins Insurance related trademarks are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins Québec, used under licence.

Desjardins Insurance refers to Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company, underwriter of automobile and property insurance or Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company, underwriter of life insurance and living benefits products. Desjardins, Desjardins Insurance and related trademarks are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, used under licence.

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Remembrance Day

8 | NORTH WELLINGTON COMMUNITY NEWS | NOVEMBER 6, 2025

Museum offers remembrance services

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ABOYNE – The Wellington County Museum and Archives is hosting two events To commemorate those who have fallen in battle, from the First World War to Afghanistan. The first event was set for Nov. 5 at the museum from 10:30am to 12:30pm. “It is basically a partnership with all of the Legions and it’s kind of the official Wellington County Remembrance ceremony,” museum programmer Mike McGill told the Community News. Every year museum staff place memorial markers on its the front lawn of the museum. “We have markers based for each township for each of the young men historically who passed away in any of the wars,” McGill said. The markers include the soldier’s name, age and where they were from. Typically the ceremony takes place in front of the museum building, but it may be moved indoors due to weather, noted McGill. “Each Legion for each township will read off the roll call for the names of each individual and then we have the bugler do the official call,” he said.

Remember – Aletha and Doug Kirkwood at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in Aboyne in November 2022 looking at some of the 500 markers bearing the names of the county’s war dead. Community News file photo County officials are also slated to share remarks. “Afterwards there is a reception that’s open to the public ... it’s just finger foods and that will be indoors,” McGill added. Candle lighting The annual candle lighting event is slated for Nov. 10 at 5:30 to 6:30pm. The event is “essentially a continuation a few days later

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and it physically involves those markers on the front lawn,” said McGill. He noted many visitors tend to find family members who served and place a candle at the base of their marker. “There are hundreds of candles and eventually the front lawn for the whole night is lit,” he said. The event will run rain or shine due to the candles being electric.

“It’s not long, it’s just solemn and quiet but it’s a beautiful event we have,” McGill added. “This period of time was so significant on a global scale and still affects us today. We never want anything like that to happen again ... and that’s why is it important to remember.” He added, “When the community can come together and hear the names, I think it humanizes it and makes it tangible.”

Remembrance Day poem: nation grateful for soldiers’ sacrifices The following poem was submitted by Mount Forest resident Dennis Bridle. We Remember Them To those who answered the call to duty When their country called upon them, To join up and serve, our freedom to preserve We remember them. They gladly traveled to foreign lands Into harm’s way they went, To deliver a blow, that would vanquish the foe Of this, they would never relent. We are a grateful nation Of this there is no doubt, We’re thankful they served, our nation preserved We remember them. To those who made it safely home Into the arms of loved ones, Have nary a fear, for they’d quickly volunteer Once again, to take up their weapons. To those who did not make it home Who paid the ultimate price Our gratitude won’t cease, may they ever rest in peace. We remember them.

Lest we forget.

t e g r o F

Remembering our veterans

On Remembrance Da y, we honour the memb ers of our armed forces who served and made the ultimate sacrifice. Their courage and dedication will always be remembered.

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Tuesday, November 11

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Local students to compete in National Youth Remembrance Contests ROBIN GEORGE REPORTER NORTH WELLINGTON – Each year, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Legion National Foundation work with schools and home-school families across Canada for a National Youth Remembrance Contest.

“

FOR THE SACRIFICES MADE AND THE FREEDOMS ENJOYED

Some of [the submissions] are just unbelievable – they must take hours. - MARY MILLER

Past poster winner – Palmerston Public School student Grayson Dann won first place for the 2021 Junior Colour Poster in the annual Legion Poster and Literacy Competition at the local branch level. He also placed first at the zone level and finished fourth at district level. He received a certificate and cash prize at each level. Palmerston Legion Branch 409 youth and education chair Gayle Blackwell and branch president Allan Toner presented Grayson with a certificate for his accomplishments. Community News file photo

Canadian students are invited to create a piece of visual art, writing or video that honours Canada’s veterans and fosters the tradition of remembrance. Submissions are judged and winners selected from local Legions. Those winning submissions are sent on to regional, then provincial and then national judges for successive rounds. National winners receive cash prizes and the first place senior winners are eligible for a trip to Ottawa to represent Canada’s youth at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony. To view national winning submissions from previous years visit lnfcanada.ca/ourwork/national-youth-remembrance-contests. The posters are black and white, Drayton Legion president Mary Miller told the Community News, and local students in kindergarten to high school participate. Miller said she’s often particularly impressed by the submissions from Grade 7 and 8 students, and from Grade 12,

as the artwork often looks as realistic as a photograph. “Some of them are just unbelievable – they must take hours,” she said. Winning submissions are published in the Legion catalogue and military service book, Miller said. The theme is Remembrance, she noted, so submissions with drawings of “guys shooting at each other” aren’t the ones selected as winners. Judges are looking for submissions that focus on remembering those who served as well as what they fought for, she said. Miller said Dippel’s Family Garage in Drayton has envelopes with more information about the competition, and submissions can be dropped off at the garage until Nov. 10 for Miller to pick up. She especially encouraged home-school families to participate, as students in school will have found out about the competition from their teachers. Further information about the contest can be found at remembrancecontests.ca or by contacting a local Legion.

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DAVID ADSETT PUBLISHER OSWIECIM, POLAND – At around 5am three parties exited the shuttle van after a long drive from Krakow. Our host left us to relax as he began the long wait in line for tickets to the AuschwitzBirkenau memorial museum. It was a very cool morning. Native birds had started their day, busily gathering up some breakfast and frolicking about. Their chirps and caws broke the silence much like home when the sun starts to rise and night-time ends. Approaching 8am, the line up was way down the street and circling the corner. Our guide and a handful of others who also came very early shepherded their charges into the yard of the facility. Surprised by the crowds, we were told Constitution Day in Poland is officially May 3, but the country honours it over the course of a weekend. During that time, the Poles celebrate their independence, commitment to reform and the power of democracy. Remembering the past is part of that. Our driver made a point, numerous times, that the early departure, wait-times and so on were no doubt inconvenient, but after spending hours learning more about what happened there, he often found guests had a different sense of perspective on the ride home. In the end he was right. After Auschwitz-Birkenau had been liberated, survivors, fellow Jews of various sects and the community had different views on its future. An option to raze it to the ground, or at least portions that were already partially destroyed by retreating Germans was considered. Historians estimate over 1.1 million people were killed at these two sites, with some victims buried in mass graves and the ashes of corpses processed

Right or left – An SS officer in 1944 motions with his thumb (evident in the shadow behind him) whether newly arrived Hungarian Jews will be sent to work in the camp or meet their premature demise. The Auschwitz II /Birkenau camp was toured recently by a Canadian delegation attending the News Congress in nearby Krakow, Poland. Photo by Drew Mochrie through the crematorium spread across the countryside. Respect for those lost souls and the need to remember that history resulted in the museum’s ultimate format. It provides a place to mourn, to reflect and for some an opportunity to dedicate effort into educating a public that cannot fathom such monstrous activities. Auschwitz itself is surrounded by a village, akin to larger centres here that over time have enveloped a cemetery or natural landscape. This location, fenced in to control the prison population, featured brick row housing with each building having a purpose. The interpreter who toured people through the facility explained the history and provided context to the exhibits and displays. The most striking commentary, in our view, was the depths of the apparatus for locals. He assigned blame to not just the Nazi element, but also academics, engineers, logistics firms, the businesses community and so on. The scale of the operation required many hands to complete. The only exhibit that didn’t allow any photographs was a

sizeable mound of human hair. By a rough guess it would have been 25 feet long and 5 feet deep. This represents a fraction of the volume, shorn from prisoners and then repurposed in mattresses, pillows and textiles. This atrocity symbolizes the obvious disregard captors had for their victims. Other exhibits featured thousands of shoes and luggage sets (some with handpainted names on the exterior) as further examples of the contemptuous plundering inflicted on the population involved. Although the tour moved at a steady pace, there was a moment to reflect on how humans could enact such injustices against other humans. We will never know, for example, what bright mind or talent the world has missed due to this extermination plot. What a waste of humanity. The Birkenau facility is located a short bus ride from town. The main entry point, immortalized in Steven Spielberg’s epic film Schindler’s List, still stands tall and true. It is a large imposing brick structure, with a tower in the middle atop large doors where trains would enter and exit.

The prisoner barracks, fashioned like horse stables, dot the landscape, and brick chimneys are all that remains of some wood buildings long ago repurposed elsewhere. The buildings where captives were processed lay in heaps of twisted concrete slabs and brick. The Germans tried to eliminate evidence by bombing facilities where prisoners were gassed and cremated. That precise spot, at the end of the line, was where our tour concluded, which seemed odd, but in hindsight, a purpose unfolded. The sun by this time was high in the sky and the heat beat down for the long walk back to the entrance. It allowed for some sombre reflection. Those very paths where men, women and children had marched to their fate are now walked by survivors, their families and people seeking to understand a horrific period in history. Depravity is something that can’t be explained away or rationalized. It just can’t. The challenge for us, in a free society remains being aware and mindful. And valuing living free.

In Silence We Remember, in Gratitude We Live

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Tuesday, November 11

NOVEMBER 6, 2025 | NORTH WELLINGTON COMMUNITY NEWS | 11

Look at attending one of these

JOIN US FOR OUR

Remembrance Day Services

ARTHUR LEGION EVENTS Roast Beef Dinner - Sat. November 8 Cocktails: 6pm, Dinner: 7pm Tickets: $25pp. Pre-order requested. Linda Tremble, 519-848-2622 Arthur Parade - Tues. November 11 10:40am (Leaving Legion to Cenotaph)

Events throughout north Wellington will honour veterans

Remembrance Day Service 11am at the Cenotaph Followed by lunch in the legion (upstairs)

COMMUNITY NEWS STAFF NORTH WELLINGTON – There will be events throughout Mapleton, Minto and Wellington North on and leading up to Remembrance Day on Nov. 11. They include ceremonies, parades, dinners and other gatherings to remember and honour those who have served and those who continue to serve their country. Clifford, Harriston The Harriston Legion will host its first service at the Clifford cenotaph on Nov. 9 at 2pm. The second ceremony is slated for Nov. 11 at 11am at the Harriston cenotaph. “The Minto-Clifford Public School students will be marching at the Nov. 11 parade,” Legion president and poppy chair Anne South told the Community News. Once the second ceremony is complete, residents and visitors are welcome to visit the Harriston Legion for social time and food for purchase. Those looking to purchase a poppy to support the Legion’s poppy campaign, which began on Oct. 31, can do so at many Harriston and Clifford businesses. Palmerston “The march to the cenotaph will start at 10:30am,” Palmerston Legion poppy chair Bill Dobson told the Community News. He noted those participating in the parade should arrive at the Legion for approximately 10am. Those attending the service should arrive at 10:45am, Dobson recommended. After the ceremony, a light lunch will be available by donation at the Legion at about 11:30am. Later on in the day the Palmerston Legion will host a Remembrance Day dinner at

Arthur Legion Br 226 281 George St, ARTHUR 519.848.5052

Mount Forest Branch 134

r Them

We Will Remembe

Remembrance Day Services HOLSTEIN

Sunday, November 9 at 2 PM

Drayton service – Members of the 1493 Norwell Army Cadets stand guard at the Drayton cenotaph during the Remembrance Day service in 2024. Community News file photo 6pm. Those interested must purchase tickets, which cost $20. All are welcome and tickets can be purchased at the Legion bar or by any Legion member. Guest speaker Pat McNich, a retired Cadet Instructors Cadre Officer, will be speaking about building houses for homeless veterans. Arthur The Arthur Legion will begin its Remembrance Day events with a roast beef dinner on Nov. 8. Cocktails will start at 6pm and dinner will be served at 7pm. Tickets are $25 per person, and the Legion requests that people pre-order by contacting Linda Tremble at 519-848-2662. The Arthur Legion will hold its annual Remembrance Day parade on Nov. 11. It leaves the Legion at 10:40am, heading to the Arthur cenotaph for a service at 11am. The service will be followed by lunch upstairs at the Legion.

Mount Forest, Holstein The Mount Forest Legion will be hosting two Remembrance Day parades, as it does every year. On Nov. 9 there will be a Remembrance Day parade in Holstein at 2pm. People will meet at the Holstein General Store at 1:40pm to walk to the cenotaph. And on Nov. 11, the Remembrance Day parade at the Mount Forest cenotaph will start around 10:40am at Parkside Drive and York Street. The Legion encourages “all comrades” to parade with them, whether in uniform or not. Mount Forest Legion poppy chairman Ken Thompson said people are welcome to go to the Legion after the parade for comradeship. In the afternoon, Legion members will visit Strathcona Long-Term Care for a small service there, Thompson told the Community News.

Drayton The Drayton Remembrance Day Service will take place at 2:15pm at the cenotaph, with a parade forming at the Legion at 2pm. Legion president Mary Miller said a bagpipe band will lead the parade, which will include cadets as well as firefighters and other first responders. Once the parade reaches the cenotaph, wreaths will be laid as part of the annual service, Miller said, and then everyone is invited back to the Legion for snacks. Miller said there are often a few hundred people in attendance at the service at the cenotaph, including many school children. That’s important, she said, as it’s a chance for students to “remember the people that served in the war and made what they call the ultimate sacrifice, which means they were killed in the war.”

Harriston Br. 296 AGENDA FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY

We will Remember Them Clifford Cenotaph Service Sunday November 9, 2:00 pm Harriston Cenotaph Service Tuesday, November 11, 11:00 am with parade lineup beginning at 10:30 am at the branch.

Lest We Forget

SERVICES November 11 2:15pm at the cenotaph Parade will form pm at the legion at 2:00

The

Drayton 15 Elm St. Drayton 519-638-2950

Remembrance Service Holstein Cenotaph Meet at the Holstein General Store at 1:40 pm.

MOUNT FOREST Tuesday, November 11 at 10:40 AM

Remembrance Day Service at the Mount Forest Cenotaph. Meet on Parkside Drive at York St at 10:40 am. There will be comradeship back at the Legion after the service and parade. TO ALL LEGION MEMBERS We request all able comrades to parade with us in uniform or not.

Parade starts on Parkside Drive.

Palmerston Legion Palmerston Legion Remembrance Day Remembrance Day Events 2025 Events

Cenotaph Service - 11:00 am Parading from the Palmerston Legion, Cenotaph Service up Legion Drive, West on Main Street, 11:00 am South on William Street, Parading from the West on Bell Street to the Cenotaph. Palmerston Legion, Everyone welcome to attend a light up Legion Drive, lunch at the Legion after Street, the service. West on Main

South on William Street, Roast Dinner WestBeef on Bell Street Cocktails 5:30 pm Dinner to the Cenotaph.6:00 pm TicketsEveryone available welcome at the Legion to or call 519-343-2004 attend a light lunch at the no takeouts Legion afteravailable the service. Adults $20, 10 years and under $10

Roast Beef Dinner Cocktails 5:30 pm Dinner 6:00 pm

palmerstonlegion.ca

Tickets available at the Legion or call 226-972-3397 no takeouts available Adults $20, 10 years and under $10

palmerstonlegion.ca


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2025 Remembrance Day Section - North Wellington Community News by WHA Publications Ltd. - Issuu