This Saturday – on the traditional ‘11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month’ – there will be several chances on the Semiahmoo Peninsula to honour veterans and those who gave their lives in service of Canada and allied nations in two world wars and other conflicts.
In White Rock, expect a large crowd to congregate on Johnston Road at Roper Street, where the annual parade of veterans and area military cadets begins at 10:40 a.m., and at the cenotaph, adjacent to White Rock City Hall (15322 Buena Vista Ave.), where the Remembrance service – including one minute of silence for the fallen – starts promptly at 11 a.m.
As usual, the city’s parade and service, often including a flyover by vintage aircraft, is organized by the Royal Canadian Legion’s #008 White Rock branch.
The parade route travels down Johnston Road to Five Corners and along Pacific Avenue before turning up Fir Street to reach the cenotaph.
For those seeking more historical context, White Rock Museum and Archives (14970 Marine Dr., in the old station building) will be continuing its exhibit, Lest We Forget: White Rock During the War Years, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The gallery show of photographs and artifacts remembers the people who participated in the war efforts of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 both overseas and at home, and looking at how the wars impacted all aspects of life in White Rock.
At the Legion Branch #008 itself (2290 152 St.) there will be a Remembrance Day-themed entertainment program from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.on Saturday.
Entertainers include the Twice Shy 1940s show featuring six jitterbug dancers, Gord Rebel’s tribute to Roy Orbison, Aaron Wong’s tribute to Elvis Presley and the duo Cheek To Cheek, presenting hits of the 1950s and 1960s.
At the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch #240, 2643 128 St. there will be a Remembrance Day service at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday and a special war-era Sunday afternoon show, Oh No! Girls with Guns, featuring music by well-known entertainer Susie Francis and the Versatiles, at 2 p.m. (admission by donation).