Beau and Keanna Holtz wrapped up their four-month old baby in a blanket, dressed three young children in their Sunday best, and drove to the Remembrance Day ceremony in Victoria Friday from Sooke to remember those who made the supreme sacrifice in the name of freedom and peace.
“As a military veteran I think it’s important to bring myself and my family down here,” said Beau Holtz, who was posted with the 5th Canadian Division Support Base in Gagetown, New Brunswick, and served with the 4th Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.
“It’s emotional, it’s moving, I just try to just listen and slow my mind down and pay attention and focus on why we are here,” he said.
Keanna Holtz said her father was in the military and also felt it was important to inform their kids about the sacrifices made for the peace we have today. “We live in Canada and we’re really thankful for that.”
The Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph on the grounds of the B.C. legislature once again saw large crowds after two years of smaller gatherings because of the pandemic.
The ceremony honoured those who have served, including in First and Second World Wars, Korea 1950-1953 and peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan.
As the Victoria Arion Male Choir sang In Flanders Fields, a man broke through the crowd part way through the ceremony and paced before the cenotaph yelling. He called for an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, pulling out of NATO and “you can stand up for Africa … you show up every year for this bull—— but you don’t stop the wars.”
Dignitaries, soldiers, veterans and the crowd remained still and the choir continued throughout. He then walked off yelling profanities and was peacefully escorted away by Victoria police.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said he was glad police were on the scene to escort the individual away, allowing the remainder of the ceremony to continue.
“I was at the Esquimalt ceremony laying a wreath,” said Manak. “Today is about honouring our fallen heroes and recognizing those who serve our country here and abroad.”
Rev. Andrew Gates of the Royal Canadian Legion said afterwards in an interview “if he only stayed a little bit longer to hear what I had to say, I said the same things he did, only I said it more calmly.”
Gates also talked about the paradoxes of our world today, and called upon “champions of peace” to rise up, and he addressed concern on the minds of people Friday — like the Holtz family bringing four kids into the world and hoping that peace prevails for them.
“There’s a picture in my mind today — it’s of an angel in whose arms a dying soldier lays,” said Gates at the ceremony.
“It’s not a picture the soldier desired, it’s a picture of creation gone mad, a picture of the insanity of human conflict, of war,” said Gates.
“And it is insanity. Inflation and food insecurity we are told are in part a result of war, unions strike to keep up with inflation, energy costs go through the roof, and in many parts of the world others are starving for lack of food.”
He talked of the failure of diplomacy in our world and the truth that “no one wins a war” as he asked for people to open their eyes and minds and souls to feel gratitude for the wonders that surround us and “the dignity of humanity.”
Despite the bitter sadness some feel about the state of our world today, ours isn’t the only generation to lament, he said.
“As we honour those who have gone before, hear and listen to the cries of so many who currently are suffering, raise up among us champions of peace, leaders who can pull us from the edge of destruction,” saod Gates. “Let peace fill our hearts, world, universe.”
Gates said after the service that his message is “we have to do something ourselves, we are responsible.” We need to remember “the first casualty of war is truth,” he said.
Stephanie Greaves opened the ceremony with the singing of O Canada, followed by the playing of the Last Post, the observation of two minutes of silence and pipe major Roger McGuire, Canadian Scottish Regiment, playing the lament Flowers of the Forest.
There was a gun salute by the 5th Field Regiment.
Silver Cross Mother Sheila Fynes attended with husband Shaun and son Michael, and laid the first wreath on behalf of all Canadian mothers who have lost a son or a daughter in military service.
Fynes, the mother of Cpl. Stuart Langridge. Following deployments to Bosnia and Afghanistan, Langridge developed post-traumatic stress disorder and took his own life in 2008.
“I’m just so proud that I still have the honour of laying a wreath,” Fynes said in an interview. “It just brings Stuart right back into the military where he was so happy.”
Despite troubling events around, “I think that the world will be okay and I think there are enough good people, more than bad people, and I think the world is evolving and changing and will be exciting.”
Shaun Fynes said his thoughts were with his son and the “tremendous honour” to be there for other military families.
Canadian Forces Rear Admiral Christopher Robinson attended with Chief Petty Officer Arvid Lee and MS Andre-Felix Sanfacon.
Lt. Gov. Janet Austin was not at the ceremony in Victoria and was instead attending a similar ceremony in Vancouver.
Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming and Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Grace Lore attended on behalf of Premier John Horgan. Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto and Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter were also there.
After the ceremony, people placed their poppies at the cenotaph.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
