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Today, for the first time since 2020 when the pandemic systematically eliminated virtually all indoor gatherings, Pentictonites once again had a choice of two distinct Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Those who could handle the current cold snap and preferred being in close proximity to the city's only true cenotaph attended the event that continued throughout COVID, the service at Veterans Memorial Park in the 100 block of Main Street.
Folks who felt more comfy with regulated temperatures and no ice underfoot made their way to the Trade and Convention Centre, where a short outdoor procession of vets, Legion members, first responders and service organizations would precede a fully indoor service.
PentictonNow started our day at the latter, not just because it's the city's official Remembrance Day event, but because it's also -- apart from 2020 and '21 shutdowns of course -- traditionally been the busiest.
And we weren't disappointed.
Run capably by armed forces veteran and past Penticton Legion president Ron Bannister, who at one point read aloud lists "of the fallen" from all major modern conflicts, the ceremony was as touching as one would expect.
And there were hundreds in the audience to appreciate it. One was 90-year-old Korean War veteran Fred MacDonald, who entered the room with his walker mid-ceremony and ambled on over to the best seat in house, front row centre.
Good on ya, Fred.
Earlier, we’d chatted briefly with 82-year-old vet Ernie Slump, who briefly filled us in on his military life. But only when we asked.
"I served in Europe," he said, "in a brigade in Europe and West Germany. It was a NATO deal. Five years, two tours.
"That's when we had a full, heavy brigade. It was '61 to '71."
Slump then went to the Middle East before retiring in 1980.
Later, even as the Convention Centre event continued, we motored over to Veterans Memorial Park, hoping the gathering there hadn’t already ended. Unfortunately -- and this is the obvious problem with having two events running simultaneously -- it had.
But small groups and single folks were still dropping by to do their thing. Some left a poppy. Others stood silently, or saluted.
Taking it all in was veteran Doug Pichette, a current resident of Charles Manor. Pichette did as he does most Remembrance Days, beginning the morning with a private get-together at the Manor, where all attendees pinned their poppies to a wreath. Pichette then brought that wreath to the cenotaph.
"I married a Penticton lady in 1954," he said. "and I've been coming to Penticton ever since. I met her in May and married her in August.
"We had plans to retire here. And in 1999, it came to fruition."
Prior to that, Pichette spent two decades in the army, serving in both Egypt and Cyprus.
"My last posting was in Victoria," he said. "We spent 25 years there. Big waves, big fish. I went 25 miles offshore to catch fish. Salmon, halibut, cod."
Pichette's been to the Convention Centre event in the past but always spends at least part of the day at the cenotaph.
"Because the veterans and the armed forces members put up with the cold weather," he explained. "So if I can’t put up with the cold weather for a half hour, I've got a big problem."
Just a few steps away on Main Street, the City had installed street banners honoring the day and those who lost their lives. Seeing them was a good way to end our Remembrance Day morning.