Manitoba

Military hall of honour opens in Manitoba legislative building

A hall of honour listing all First World War regiments based out of Manitoba was unveiled at the legislative building on Tuesday.

List of First World War regiments based in Manitoba unveiled ahead of Remembrance Day

Premier Greg Selinger (left) and Maj.-Gen. David Wheeler, commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, Royal Canadian Air Force, unveil the hall of honour at the Manitoba legislative building. (Michael Fazio/CBC)

A hall of honour listing all First World War regiments based out of Manitoba was unveiled at the legislative building on Tuesday.

Located in the southwest corridor on the main floor, the hall will eventually include dedications to Lt.-Col. William "Billy" Barker of Dauphin, the most decorated serviceman in Canadian history, and Sgt. Tommy Prince of Winnipeg, Canada's most decorated First Nations soldier.

Premier Greg Selinger also announced that a daily ceremony will be held for the turning of the pages in the Books of Remembrance.

The Books of Remembrance have, until recently, been housed on the second floor in the Manitoba Room but were largely inaccessible to the general public. The books honour casualties of war from the Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and the merchant navy.

"It is important the public has access to this material to serve as a reminder that we should never forget the courage and sacrifice that has been made on our behalf so that we might live in the greatest, freest nation in the world," Selinger said.

The ceremony will be done each day at exactly 11 a.m., every day of the year, said MLA Deanne Crothers, special envoy for military affairs.

The hall of honour will be open to the public during regular operating hours of the legislative building, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.