More than 40 banners by Windsor branch of Royal Canadian Legion commemorate veterans
‘We can't forget those men and women that went off … and served,’ says co-ordinator
The Windsor branch of the Royal Canadian Legion held a special ceremony on Tuesday to honour the contributions made by local veterans.
On Sunday, 40 banners were raised by the legion's Riverside Veteran Banner Project in honour of the veterans.
Marty Flanagan, co-ordinator of the project, said it is "very gratifying" to see the banners up, adding that the families of the veterans are equally proud.
"We can't forget those men and women that went off … and served, we want to make sure that they're remembered," Flanagan told CBC News.
"They went and signed a blank cheque up, including their life for Canada, so, it's the least we could do — put a banner up to make sure we're going to remember them."
Flanagan said the banners — placed on utility poles along Wyandotte Street — are not kept up year-round in order to prevent wind damage, but usually stay up for around two-and-a-half months "so everybody gets a chance to see them."
The banners will be taken down just after Remembrance Day, November 11.
A bitter-sweet moment
Theresa Charbonneau, whose son, Cpl. Andrew Grenon died while serving in Afghanistan, said the banner in his honour gave her "so much pride."
"Because the memory of my son is not dying, it means the world to me."
Charbonneau said the honour for her son is bitter-sweet.
"It's like all the memorials in Windsor, everything that you pass that signifies a veteran, it is double folded. I am so happy that it's there and I am so sad that it's there," she said.
"It's hard to grasp, and there are times when I can go from tears to laughter in a split second and the other way around."
With files from Leandra Vermeulen