It is a tradition in Niagara-on-the-Lake, that 809 Cadets stand vigil at the Old Town cenotaph on Remembrance Day from the early morning hours to the end of the 1100 service. In the afternoon, we also participate in the 1300 service at the Queenston cenotaph. Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench in the entire process and we have been unable to participate since Remembrance Day 2019. This year, we’re slowly but surely resuming our role.

Normally, we do an overnight sleepover event at the Royal Canadian Legion the night before and begin standing vigil in half hour shifts from 6am to the end of the first service. We then go to back to the Legion for lunch, travel by bus to the Queenston service and then return to the Legion for parent/guardian pickup. Restrictions on overnight activities and mixed gatherings require us to modify the program this year, so here’s what we’re going to do:

At a minimum, cadets will stand vigil at the Old Town and Queenston cenotaphs during the services themselves and will read “In Flanders Fields” at each service. We already have enough cadet volunteers to fill this role. We’ll work backwards from the 1100 service and begin our half-hour shifts as early as we can depending on how many cadets can get rides to and from the Old Town cenotaph.

Dress for Remembrance Day will be 1A/C1A.

Please email 809air@cadets.gc.ca with your availability for Remembrance Day activities as soon as possible so that we can begin building the schedule.

For those cadets participating, the following letter has been made available to explain to your teachers why you’ll be absent from school while participating.

Remembrance Day Excuse Letter 2021

Cadets who are unable to attend have blanket permission to wear their C1A uniform to school to represent the squadron.

J Lemoine
Captain
Commanding Officer
809 Newark RCACS
Immortal!