The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Lest we forget? Flin Flon and area residents certainly haven't. A well-attended banquet, parade and service marked the Remembrance Day weekend with a fittingly sombre tone. 'It was a success all the way through,' said Robert Penner, president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 73, which organized the events. The proceedings began last Saturday evening, Nov. 10, as 100-plus guests, several veterans among them, gathered in the Legion hall for a formal banquet. Guest speaker Father Paul Bringleson of St. Ann's Roman Catholic Parish blended faith and gratitude in a dynamic keynote address. 'There have always been, generously, men and women who have stood, often silently, to emphasize the importance of the value of life, of dignity, of growth, of change,' he said, speaking powerfully from the podium. 'And those men and women who have served formally or informally throughout the world continue to stand as a reminder to ourselves that change in this world is possible, that the final period on how we see one another as a world has not been placed. It is entirely open-ended.' Father Bringleson said residents marking Remembrance Day speak 'of a subtle presence of men and women who even today are engaged both here and abroad in emphasizing the value and the dignity of life. 'The older I get and the greyer the world becomes, I become increasingly convinced that we have a moral responsibility to continue to speak for those who are unable to speak or be heard by themselves.' See 'The...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 'And the men and women who safeguard that liberty, the men and women who safeguard that responsibility, the men and women that preserve that integrity, continue to (show), at least to myself, that change is possible in this world.' Among those listening to the address were Bernhard, Ken and John Mensch. They are believed to be the only family with three generations represented in the Legion branch's ordinary membership. Originally from MacNutt, Sask., Bernhard, 91, served in the Second World War with the Royal Canadian Air Force, traveling to Belgium, Holland and Germany. His son, Ken, 65, spent four years as a sapper with the now-defunct Flin Flon-based 21st Field Engineer Squadron. Also part of the squadron was grandson John, 37. 'Dad really feels good about it because he was after me for years to finally join the Legion to get it that way,' said Ken regarding the three-generation milestone. Notable figures Besides members like the Mensches, the banquet brought together some notable figures from throughout the community. Head table guests included Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler, Denare Beach Mayor Carl Lentowicz, Ken Pawlachuk of Flin Flon City Council and Brad Lantz, Hudbay's highest-ranking official in Flin Flon. Behind the head table, red and black coverings turned dartboards into large poppies, adding to the ambiance of the evening. Many of Saturday's guests gathered outside the Legion on Sunday morning for the Remembrance Day parade _ 80-plus marchers strong. With Mounties in their Red Serge and the flag-bearing Legion Colour Party leading the way, the parade looped onto Hill Street from Hapnot Street. In front of the Cenotaph war monument, accepting the salutes of the marchers, stood Bernie Cluff, a local veteran of the Korean War. The marchers made their way to the R.H. Channing Auditorium, where they attended a service that concluded with mourners laying wreathes at the base of a Cenotaph replica. About 350 people were present and, as with the parade, many were children and teens from groups such as the Army Cadets and Girl Guides. Saturday's banquet also saw several dozen Legion members honoured with service pins for their years of service: Service Awards Ordinary Members 70 Years Wray Henderson 65 Years Norbert Bernhard 60 Years Doug Gourlay; D.R. Grudgefield; Peter Popp 45 Years Ernest Kichuk; Morley Naylor 40 Years Larry Coles; L.D. Duliak; Dennis Hydamaka 35 Years Bryan Dixon; Wayne Harkin; Keith Staszko 30 Years B.W. Mensch; Tom Morrison 25 Years Eldon Wielenga; Michael Wilson 20 Years Albert Lambert 15 Years Rejean Dumais 10 Years Harley Eagle; Kenneth Mensch Associate Members 35 Years H. Strom 30 Years Reg Bouteiller; Lisa Buettner; Glen Fredeen; Harold Harris; Glen Hogarth; Brian Humphreys; Sharon Lengyel; Pat Mitchell; Erik Nasselquist; John Rigby; Maureen Thompson; Roberta Thompson; Therese Thompson; G.L. Stuckless 25 Years Vernice Henry; Michele Rothlander; Murray Steeves 20 Years Monica Audet; Sandra Hogarth; Alta Graham McKenzie; Allan Shirran; Colleen Smiley; Jeanetta Smith 15 Years Ronald Blatz; Delbert Brown; John McFarlane; Albert Munroe; Kim Puchailo; Bernice Stoltz; Ashley Watson 10 Years Dennis Lycan; John Meikle; Madeline Mousseau; Bonnie Novak; Anna Marie Penner; Michael Wilson; Karen Yeo Affiliate Members 15 Years Mervin St. Denis
