BARRIE, Ont. — An empty military boot stood below Barrie’s cenotaph Tuesday morning, a silent reminder for the thousands gathered beneath a cloudy November sky to mark Remembrance Day of the lives lost in war.
Flags hung at half-mast as veterans, cadets, children and residents gathered around the cenotaph, where the names of fallen soldiers are carved into stone. Sombre music played as the crowd stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their attention drawn to the tributes unfolding.
The boot, displayed to honour the Battle of Vimy Ridge, represented the human cost of war, a symbol of the soldiers no longer here to wear it.
For Fern Taillefer, the ceremony’s parade marshal and a retired warrant officer, the gathering was another year of leading a tradition he has been part of for nearly 20 years. Having served 22 years in the military, including six in the infantry and 16 with the military police, he said the day brings back memories of friends who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“I remember them every day,” he said.
The ceremony began with a parade marching along Dunlop Street East from Mulcaster Street to the Barrie Cenotaph in Memorial Square in the city's downtown.
People hurried to find a spot with a view as veterans, as the parade marched towards the cenotaph at 10:30 a.m.
Veteran leaders addressed the crowd with speeches and prayers, while Métis veteran Mah-mosh-kway-gah-boh, known in English as Paul Pirie, delivered a land acknowledgement. Retired Lt.-Col. Bill Seargeant recited the familiar words of John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields, followed by an original song performed by Ric Ross.
The veterans stood front and centre as attendees bowed their heads for a moment of silence before wreaths were laid at the foot of the cenotaph.
Among those standing in the crowd was retired Royal Canadian Air Force Capt. Walter Heneghan, who said Remembrance Day is a chance to stop and reflect on friends and colleagues he lost during his time in uniform.
“Our armed forces are just representative of our country. The people in uniform are no different than your next-door neighbours,” Heneghan said.
Following the ceremony, Mah-mosh-kway-gah-boh said the size of this year’s crowd was particularly striking.
“If there is one thing (U.S. President Donald) Trump did, it’s wake everybody up. We’ve never had a turnout like this,” he said.
Taillefer estimated a couple thousand people attended the ceremony, and said it's important younger generations understand why so many Canadians gathered to remember those who served.
“They need to know why they’re here, and what they have is not something somebody didn’t pay a price for,” he said.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., the ceremony concluded. As the crowd began to disperse, the empty boot remained beside the cenotaph - a reminder of the people who never returned home, and why thousands had gathered to remember them.
