Sarah Mills: We must remember them
Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday, but Sarah Mills says not everyone will take the time to remember those who made ...
The sound of bagpipes filled Regina’s Victoria Park on Wednesday as hundreds of people, young and old, gathered to remember those who fought, served and sacrificed for Canada’s freedoms.
Poppies were worn, wreaths were laid and heads were bowed as the city marked Remembrance Day, honouring generations of military service while reflecting on the importance of passing those memories to the next generation.
But this year’s ceremony also carried added sadness following the deaths of four Canadian soldiers during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright in Alberta last month.
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For Regina mother Morgan Clive, attending the ceremony with her children was about much more than observing a tradition.
“The ceremony was beautiful. It was emotional,” Clive said.
“It’s so important to continue that memory of sharing that with our children, what we know and the impacts of what war does to a country.”
Clive said children need to understand that the freedoms Canadians enjoy today came at a cost, and that those freedoms should never be taken for granted.
Regina mother Morgan Clive attends the Remembrance Day ceremony at Victoria Park on Nov. 11, 2026. Clive spoke about the importance of teaching younger generations about the sacrifices made for Canada’s freedoms. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“By remembering the sacrifice of our ancestors, of even the people who are still alive in our lives, we teach them the importance of law and order, we teach them the importance of freedom,” she said.
“Because the reality is that it can disappear in an overnight if we let it.”
Clive said the recent tragedy at CFB Wainwright gave Wednesday’s ceremony an even deeper sense of sadness.
“I thought the ceremony had a deeper element of somberness that there was a tragedy,” she said.
“Whether or not I would call it special is maybe not quite the right word, but definitely a reality of what these people do for us as citizens. That it is a sacrifice.”
Four soldiers died and 39 other Canadian Armed Forces members were injured when a fire spread rapidly during a live-fire training exercise at CFB Wainwright on Oct. 17.
Those killed were Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.
Farrell was from Prince Albert, Sask.
The tragedy was also on the minds of military members attending Regina’s ceremony.
Royal Canadian Navy Capt. (N) Bryan Price, who has served as a reservist for 33 years, was in Regina representing the Naval Reserve in Western Canada.
Price said he was impressed by the turnout, particularly the number of young people, cadets, military members and first responders who came to pay their respects.
“It’s outstanding,” Price said.
“It really reflects what I see in Canadian society not glorifying war, but remembering those who have fallen, and trying to make sure that we are paying attention to how those tragedies not happen again.”
For Price, the deaths at CFB Wainwright were particularly personal.
He attended a memorial service for Goulding and said he has a connection to one of the young soldier’s former training colleagues.
“A very tough day,” Price said.
“It was a very tough day for the family. Tough day for the soldiers. Tough days for my brothers and sisters in the armed forces, but we will remember them.”
Royal Canadian Navy Capt. (N) Bryan Price attends the Remembrance Day ceremony at Victoria Park in Regina on Nov. 11, 2026. Price reflected on the four Canadian soldiers killed in last month’s training tragedy at CFB Wainwright. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Price said the military is a close-knit community, regardless of which branch its members serve in.
“We’re very much a large family in the military,” he said.
He added that the tragedy serves as a reminder that military personnel continue to face risks while serving Canada, both at home and abroad.
For veteran Rod McKendrick, who served with the Royal Engineers in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, Wednesday’s ceremony was another opportunity to remember those who never made it home.
McKendrick, who attends every year, said he noticed more people at Victoria Park than in previous years.
“Today was quite a ceremony. There were more people here this year than there has been in the past,” he said.
“It’s a solemn ceremony, remembering those that have gone before and those colleagues that have gone before and didn’t make it.”
But it was the younger faces in the crowd that particularly stood out to him.
“There was youth here asking the parents, ‘What? What is this? What’s happening?'” McKendrick said.
“It’s important that we, as we’ve said, remember them, but also that we educate the kids.”
For McKendrick, remembrance isn’t about celebrating conflict, but about ensuring future generations understand its consequences.
“There’s no need for war.”
Price echoed that message, saying the next generation has an important role in carrying the memories of Canada’s veterans forward.
“We’re very fortunate to live in this country,” he said.
Wreaths surround the cenotaph at Regina’s Victoria Park during the Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11, 2026. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“It’s really important that we help them understand where we’ve come from, as they will serve the basis of where we’re going to go in the future.”
And for Clive, the message to anyone thinking about attending a future Remembrance Day ceremony was simple.
“Get your butts out to these ceremonies. Do not take these for granted.”
