This Remembrance Day, Jasper residents again did well to honour the memories of those who gave their lives and those who continue to risk their lives in service of our country.

While it is an annual occurrence, it never gets old. It is always moving to see so many people take time each Nov. 11 to solemnly show their respect for the sacrifices made by the men and women of the military, both past and present.

This year was no exception. Organizers set out just over 300 chairs in the multi-purpose hall at the Jasper Activity Centre. By the time the ceremonies were in full swing, it was standing-room only in the hall and the crowd stretched out well into the lobby. Young and old, long-time residents and newcomers alike, these hundreds of people came together for the same purpose: to remember.

The sense of reverence was palpable in the hall, especially as young Jessica Van De Bogart played the Last Post on the trumpet, followed by two minutes of silence. There is something about an extended stillness in a room packed full of people that prompts one to genuinely reflect on the important things in life.

That reflection was then formalized in the reading of the Honour Roll by Mayor Richard Ireland, the laying of wreaths, and a scripture reading from Rev. David Prowse.

During his address, Prowse also took time to speak of the three men buried in military graves at the Jasper Cemetery, beginning with Flying Officer James Robinson. 

“He died in a flight training accident in southern Alberta just 70 years ago, yesterday,” Prowse noted. “He was considered too old to be proceeding overseas for this Second World War, but he had committed his life to the efforts of training other Commonwealth pilots.”

Prowse next spoke of Lance Cpl. Alexander Collie, buried in the same row at the Jasper Cemetery. Collie was a member of the Lovat Scouts, a commando unit that did mountain and glacier training in the Jasper area.

“Lance Cpl. Collie was 22 years old when he died here on the 20th of January, 1944,” Prowse said.

Also in the same row, Sgt. Henry Andri Hanson of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps is buried. He was the husband of Mary Edna Hanson of Jasper, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

While these men are just three among tens of thousands of Canadians who gave their lives in military service, telling their stories, in particular, was an effective reminder of the great sacrifice every one of them has made. It’s more tangible when you can focus on a few individuals, rather than so many, especially when they came from the same community and are buried so close to home.

Inscribed at the foot of Robinson’s headstone are the words “Ever Remembered, Ever Loved.” With Remembrance Day services like this year’s, Jasper is making sure that stays true.