Under a cloudy sky, hundreds gathered at the Oak Bay Cenotaph on Monday to pay tribute to those who serve and have served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
The cenotaph, which stands in Upland Park, proudly overlooking Cattle Point, was erected in 1948 to commemorate 97 young men and one woman from Oak Bay, who died in the Second World War.
Early in the ceremony, under a pole where a Canadian flag fluttered at half-mast, a bugler performed Last Post to the solemn crowd, immediately preceding two minutes of silence. The silence lifted to stirring songs performed by a bagpiper and the vocal ensemble of the Canadian College of Performing Arts.
Veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as members of non-military groups, including the Oak Bay Kiwanis Club, the Oak Bay Rotary Club and Catholic Women's League, soon placed wreaths on the cenotaph.
After the director of ceremonies, Deputy Chief Kris Rice of the Oak Bay Police Department, concluded the ceremony, dozens lined up in front of the cenotaph to pin poppies to the placed wreaths and pay their respects.
