From Bristol, to Ladysmith to Portage-du-Fort and Fort-Coulonge, all held ceremonies to honour the lives lost due to the war. In front of the monument in Portage-du-Fort, many people gathered along with Warden Jane Toller and MNA Andre Fortin. To start the ceremony, Jessica Nilsson played the trumpet and Mona Woodstock, secretary of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 162, invited several people to speak.

With over 20 wreaths placed for the different members, there were also rocks that were painted by kids in the community in 2020 when the gathering was still prohibited due to covid.

After the ceremony, community members were invited to a hot meal at Lakeside. This year they changed the location for the lunch and it saw a bigger turnout stated Lynne Cameron, mayor of Portage-du-fort

“It’s very important because we have a lot of veterans from here. We lost our last one, two years ago. So there are empty spots out there,” said Cameron.

The Royal Canadian Legion organizes multiple ceremonies on Nov. 11 and they work towards raising money to help community members who are in need. This year they were able to raise about $10, 000 stated Ronald Woodstock, president of the legion.

“I was in the army when I was young. I’ve always gone to every Remembrance Day ceremony that I could because I believe that we should honour those that died and those that fought didn’t die as well,” said Ronald.

For some this day is also about honouring family members that were in the war. “It means a whole lot to me because my dad was in the war. And it just means that we should be remembering our service people. Not just from the First and Second World Wars but people that are still serving today,” said Mona Woodstock.

Joining the legion almost five years ago, Toller did so because she wanted to honour her father and grandfather who served in the war, or were prepared to, and to help keep the tradition going.

She highlighted that seeing the kids at the Shawville memorial and the painted rocks in Portage was inspiring to see the younger generation be a part of this day as it is important to not grow complacent. “With what is going on in Ukraine, with Russia, we cannot take peace for granted and we need to be vigilant and it has to start with each and every one of us. We need to make sure that our current military is well supported and that our veterans also receive all the care that they need,” she said.

“It’s nice to see kids here today and it is nice to see that PHS and McDowell made sure their kids can attend. It’s important to build their gratitude towards what veterans did for us, the sacrifice they made and the sacrifice their families made,” said Fortin.

In Ladysmith, the town came together as well. The Equity spoke to Karen Daly Kelly who mentioned every year they get a bigger crowd, depending on the weather, but overall it was a great turn out.

“We’re always trying to remember them and commemorate them in our dreams and our prayers,” said Kelly.

Carl Erfle, a retired police officer stated it’s an honour to be remembering all the men who fought to protect Canada and mentioned that present at the ceremony was retired Master corporal, Mark Keller.

“Our souls never came back, to honour the ones that have and still have difficulty. I do it almost every year. I’ve been doing it for 20 years,” said Keller.

“Remembrance Day means being thankful to those who served and are serving so that we have freedom today. I lost my great-grandfather in the First World War. He left on Sept 15, 1918 to go out but never returned. I remember my mother telling me that her grandmother had to wait seven years for him to be declared dead. I have many great uncles who also served,” said Monique Atkinson, a community member.

“Having one son in the Navy and one serving in the Air Force, brings it all back, to what our forefathers fought for, our freedom. We should never forget,” she said.

Mike Palsson, a community member said: “I’m happy that people are still interested in, paying attention, over the years you kind of think that would fade out but it doesn’t seem to fade out. It shows you the importance of it.”

Mark Keller a retired veteran attends the Ladysmith Remember- ance Day ceremonies every year because he believes its import- ant to show up and remember the people who fight in the war.

Pictured are soldiers from CFB Petawawa standing among all of the offi cial and public wreaths placed on behalf of municipalities, schools and many local businesses and organizations. There were also wreaths placed in memory of several local veterans who have passed away.

Lori Kensley, treasurer of the legion standing with a community member.

Jessica Nilsson performing The Last Post at the Shawville Remembrance Day ceremony, while staff and students of PHS look on.

Students from Poupore Elementary School attending the remembrance ceremony in For Coulonge

Mark Keller at the Ladysmith Remembrance Day ceremony.

Ronald Woodstock and Jane Toller walk back after laying a wreath in front of the monument in Portage-du-Fort

Ronald Woodstock the president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 162 at the Portage-du-fort ceremony

Lori Kensley, treasurer of the Royal Canadian Legion, Mona Woodstock, secretary, and Ronald Woodstock, president

Residents of Bristol gathered to honour remembrance day. The ceremony was attended by over 50 people and saw the singing of hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths.

FORT COULONGE REMEMBERS

Pierre Cyr

Fort-Coulonge November 11, 2022

A Remembrance Day service was held at the cenotaph in Fort-Coulonge on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. A crowd of approximately 150 people attended the ceremony. Attendance at the event was varied, ranging from a class at the Poupore Elementary School, to people representing the federal and provincial government, the MRC Pontiac, the Pontiac Indigenous community, as well as family descendants of the Veterans of World War I and II.

The atmosphere was respectful and prayers were expressed by church representatives to not only give thanks to veterans but also to ask God to intervene in the actual places in the world that are going through major conflicts like the Ukraine invasion and civil wars in a few countries on the African continent like Congo.

A brunch was served at the Spruceholme Inn just after the ceremony. THE EQUITY had the opportunity to meet the family of Gerald St-Jean, born in Fort-Coulonge in 1920. St-Jean joined the Army on March 7, 1941, and served in Europe during World War II until the end of 1945.

Private St-Jean was a rifleman when he joined the “Régiment de Maisonneuve’’ and eventually became a mortarman in 1944. His regiment participated in the Normandy battle in the summer of 1944 where 400,000 men lost their lives. He was awarded six medals including the: the 1939-45 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp and the War Medal 1939-45.

He was also awarded Commendation for Gallantry after he jumped in a river with a strong current and swam 30 yards to save a young girl from drowning on February 28, 1943. St-Jean came back to Fort-Coulonge after the war, married Ella Graveline and had four children. He passed away in 1976 at the young age of 56.

His son Yvon St-Jean, resident of Fort-Coulonge, doesn’t remember hearing his dad talk about the war nor his stay of four years in Europe. Hard to think that private St-Jean went on to live a normal life without revealing memories and sorrows stemming from his experience in a war zone for so long. Lest we forget his contribution.

Private Gerald St-Jean, a native of Fort-Coulonge and veteran of World War II.

St-Jean was the recipient of six medals including the: the 1939-45 Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp and the War Medal 1939-45.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!