The Turner Valley Legion will be recording and posting its Remembrance Day ceremony to its Facebook page and on YouTube again this year.
This is the second year the Turner Valley Legion has had to hold Remembrance Day online due to COVID restrictions.
First vice-president of the Turner Valley Legion, Linda Macaulay said it is not the way they want to honour war veterans.
“We are disappointed,” she said. “It is the second year in a row. This is not what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to be all together.”
Under current COVID restrictions only 20 people are allowed to gather outdoors.
“We can only have 20 people outside, but normally we have 700,” Macaulay said. “It is packed – standing room only.”
Due to the weather at this time of year, the ceremony can’t be held outside, Macaulay added. Pre-COVID, the ceremony was held in the Oilfields High School gym and was followed by more wreath-laying and a social at the Turner Valley Legion.
This year people can view the ceremony online starting at 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 11 and a link to the YouTube post will be shared on the Legion’s Facebook page.
The Turner Valley Legion’s poppy campaign is underway with poppies on sale at stores in Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Millarville, Longview and Priddis. The Legion also has a booth at the entrance of the Millarville Christmas market.
The poppy campaign is a major fundraiser for the Legion. Despite less people being out last year, the poppy campaign still brought in $15,000 to support local veterans. That is down slightly from $17,000 in 2019.
“With COVID a lot of people weren’t out and some were in lockdown,” she said. “It’s what we can do.”
Macaulay estimates that there are around 40 veterans who are members of the Turner Valley Legion and she said many of them are in care facilities.
“It’s the same for every Legion,” she said. “Our mission is to take care of our veterans and their families and our community and although the funds raised in the poppy campaign don’t go into the community, they ensure the veterans that need help, get it.”
Another way to support the Legion is by visiting its dining room.
Macaulay said they are open for one-third their capacity, or 50 people, and are checking COVID vaccination records. They are also providing take-out for those who are not vaccinated.
“We have been able to remain open at one-third capacity and for take-out so currently that is the best way to support us until we get out of the pandemic,” she said.
