Thanks to all for ANZAC Day efforts
Dear editor,
As the founder and director of the HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial, I would like to publicly thank several people for their participation in ANZAC Day.
First to thank is the military: the Snowbirds with the ANZAC tribute fly-over they held early on Sunday morning.
I know that many in the community were put in various forms of distress when Canada’s flying icons flew over heads on the day of rest. For that our museum is truly sorry. However, it was a flight in tribute to those men who died 101 years ago that they flew in honour of, and the brotherhood of the men and women of the New Zealand and Australian military who have fought side-by-side with the Canadians on many occasions in the past 100 years that they chose this time and this day to fly over our place of commemoration. For that we are truly thankful.
We even received special items for our ANZAC exhibit courtesy of both the New Zealand Returned military association and the Australian Navy as well as the high commissions of both New Zealand and Australia.
Secondly, I want to thank the K’omoks First Nation for opening our commemoration with a welcome ceremonial song and dance, and for the blessing and cleansing they brought to the occasion.
Our speakers did a wonderful presentation of what being an Anzac is all about, and what serving Canada now means to them. And to have the Canadian Military Wives Choir Comox and Shayne Stuchbery’s fine music kept the event cohesive and joyful.
I also want to thank Stuart and Jessica for providing all the coffee and cookies, and chef James Derry and the students of Peppermill for baking so many Anzac biscuits. And the various friends of the museum who pruned their rosemary bushes for us.
A tip of the hat goes out to Les Spilsbery for setting up all the national flags and staging by himself.
We hope that those who attended this year appreciated the work that went into this event and will come again next year.
Lewis Bartholomew
founder/executive director
The Alberni Project