SASKATOON -- The soft patter of footsteps could be heard echoing as an honour guard took their places around a cenotaph positioned inside the mostly-empty Hugh Cairns Armoury in Saskatoon
And so began a Remembrance Day ceremony, that due to COVID-19, was starkly different than the famously well-attended indoor event traditionally held in the city.
Just a handful of participants and dignitaries could be seen during the live-streamed event, sitting in folding metal chairs, spaced to allow for physical distancing.
In his opening remarks, Chaplin Capt. Ivan Nahachewsky acknowledged the unusual nature of the ceremony but also emphasized what still remained the same.
"We thank you for commemorating Remembrance Day 2020 in a very unusual, and yet very usual way. This virtual gathering is our way to remember those and honour those who served and those who died in order that we in Canada might live in freedoms," Nahachewsky said.
At the same time across town, a small physically-distanced group gathered at the cenotaph outside city hall in downtown Saskatoon.
Helen Semaganias, comes to the cenotaph every year to remember her grandfathers who fought during the First World War.
Like many others, she didn't mind the blustery winter weather and wasn't deterred by streets still clogged with snow from the weekend.
“It’s just such a small inconvenience to pay respect and honour those who went through such a great sacrifice to protect us to ensure that we’re here today enjoying our freedom,” Semaganias said.
Gary Beam, who served in the Royal Canadian Navy for 34 years, said the weather served as a reminder of what soldiers faced.
“Well, the thing is our boys went through a lot of cold weather and snow and wet, and I thought If I could show up here just for a little bit of snow, you know, its worth it," Beam said.
British Army Veteran, Matthias Harkness said he felt it was important to still mark the day during the pandemic.
“It’s important to keep the tradition because God forbid we lose traditions like this just because of a pandemic. I’m not trying to downplay the pandemic because it is a clear and present danger to everybody, but I think its also important to carry on traditions," he said.
