Author: Darcy Robert

**REMINDER ALERT-November 29-December 5** 

Please be safe-respect distancing rules- wear a mask if other are around.

 

Wreaths for Veterans –

          CHRISTMAS WREATHS FOR OUR VETERANS   

 

Every year Audrey and Peter Martin- Branch # 7 Members, invite the community to participate

in the laying of wreaths in the Field of Honour at the Transcona Cemetery, for the first Sunday

of December. In following with the current COVID 19 protocols this event will be modified.

This will be the 5^th year for this special event.

The Martins hope that Legion Members and Transcona Citizen make or purchase natural Christmas

Wreaths. If families wish to make an artificial wreath that would be a wonderful, family project to create

during this COVID 19 lockdown. There will be stakes with hooks at both ends of each row in the Field of

Honour that can be used to hang the wreath. The wreath could also be laid against the headstone.

We ask that no one put any metal or stick anything on the monuments as it could mark

them badly and it is hard to clean. Anyone making an artificial wreath we ask if you come

and remove it sometime in January and perhaps save it for the next year. The artificial

ones are beautiful to see, we are concerned about the impact environmentally.

Peter has asked that all wreaths to be in placed by Sunday, December 6^th, Pictures will be taken,

including a view from a drone. The pictures will be displayed on a number of Transcona websites and social media.

Our goal is to place a wreath on one of the 325 Veterans graves.

We are spreading out wreath laying for a week to minimize too many people gathering at the same time.

Please respect social distancing and wear a mask if others are around.

Below are some pictures from past wreath laying.

 

 

    

Merci Beaucoup -Thank you

Transcona Legion Branch # 7 wishes to thank the Grade 4 students from Ecole Margaret Underhill and the Grade 9 class from College Pierre Elliott Trudeau for their creative and thoughtful displays.

Numerous little rocks were painted with Poppies by the students from these two schools.

The students from Ecole Margaret Underhill placed their pictures and rocks around the Cenotaph located in Memorial Park Circle.

College Pierre Elliott Trudeau placed their rocks in front of our Branch. When our President Dave Roy came to the Branch Monday, he was deeply moved to see all the painted rocks.

We have provided pictures below from the two locations. It is a wonderful and heart felt sight to behold.

Branch Volunteers have been actively meeting with students within our Community to talk about the importance of Remembrance Day. We are humbled by the message we have received from the youth in our Community.

We thank the teachers and students who provided this inspirational “Remembrance” for all the Veterans, their families and the Community to enjoy.

                                                          REMEMBRANCE WEEK

Wear a Poppy-the symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.

Visit Memorial Park Circle where you will see name of lives lost from our community on the Cenotaph.

Field of Honour in the Transcona Cemetery-place a Poppy on one of the headstones

75th anniversary, of the end of WWII, we encourage all of you to wander through our great Community to seek out the designated Honourary Street Names of our World War II Veterans, still residing within Transcona.

On Remembrance Day at 11 am, wherever you are, please pause in silence to remember all the lives we have lost as well as those that are still serving for us.

Message from Comrade Peter Martin-Co-Ordinator of No Stone Left Alone (NSLA)

 

This year as a result of COVID 19 restriction there will be no NSLA ceremony at the cemetery. We have kept up the tradition of speaking to all the classes that participated last year- virtually. We would like Veterans, Legion Members and our Community to place a poppy on a stone in the Field of Honour during Remembrance week. I will post a picture of the stones after Nov. 11 and hopefully all stones will have a poppy.

The NSLA organization have started an initiative, see below to create a “pass the Poppy “chain.  If everyone follows the instructions they can also participate.

Message from Michelle Koch |  No Stone Left Alone Communications/ National Coordinator – Ceremonies 2020 

As we near Remembrance Day, we are working on a social media initiative to encourage people to wear their poppies, and to share with the world what we do.

The initiative is called Pass the Poppy. It’s a short video of clips strung together, of people passing a poppy from one to another. You may have seen a similar format where grads this year did a Pass the Grad Dress video. We would love for you to contribute.

It’s really simple to do.  “Please make sure you hold the ctrl button and click on the word here”to watch a little how to video HERE. Just have someone record you, your friends, family or colleagues passing a poppy from one side of the video frame to the centre, then to the other side. Just a phone video recording is perfect. Then send the clips to me, and we will stitch them together in a video which will end with Maureen laying a poppy on her mother’s headstone – bringing it full circle. I’m attaching a sample clip here of what we’re looking for.

We would love to fill social media with these videos, and encourage other Canadians to participate as well. While we can’t manufacture a “viral” sensation, we do hope that it will gain traction and become a part of the way that Canadians remember this year – especially since we can’t be together. The more of these we get, the better to share our message of remembrance with the world.

Poppies are now available so please grab yours and join us in this effort to remind Canadians to remember.

RECOGNIZATION OF WWII VETERANS RESIDING IN TRANSCONA

This year, is the 75^th Anniversary to the end of World War II, Transcona had a significant number of men lost to this war-over 40 never returned home.  Our Branch has actively remembered our fallen at our Decoration Day in June and our Remembrance Day Service.

Comrade Peter Martin, from our Branch, has been working with members of our Community to         ensure “We Never Forget” our Veterans.

This group has worked on a project researching the names of Veterans who live within our Community and who served during WWII. The goal is to have a Honourary Street named        after them.  We encourage everyone to go about the community to view this special tribute.

Today Transcona has 8 Honourary Street Names with a new one submitted to the City for consideration.

Andrushko Way- corner of Melrose and Wabasha (Steve Andrushko)

Henry Golis Way -Regent W between Winona and Madeline

Robert Bullen Way -Rosseau between Hoka and Madeline.

Walter Nilsson Way– Webster Ave between Dugald Rd and Copeland St

Jack Wright Way- Leola St between Harvard Ave E and Whittier Ave E 

Lavana Sorokowski Way–Horton Ave E between Day St and Wabasha St

John Cochrane Way– Ravelston Ave W between Hoka St and Madeline St 

Peter Frejuk Way- Cloverdale Cres between Kildare Ave W and Brewster St

 

If you know of a WWII Veteran who currently resides within Transcona please let Peter know by sending him an email at branch7@shaw.ca  subject  attn Peter Martin-Veterans. Please provide the name and as much information as you can about the Veteran as well as your contact information. Peter will be in contact with you / our Veterans once it is physically safe to.

Let us all remember the tragic losses that have taken place in our Country and continue to recognize the hard work that our Armed Forces-RCMP-Police-Fire Fighters-Ambulance -Front Line and Essential Workers continue to do for us.