(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)
October 22, 2014 - 3:40 PM
VERNON - There’s uneasiness across the country following the death of a Canadian soldier on Parliament Hill Wednesday morning, and while military bases have been locked down, and officers directed not to wear uniforms in public, the president of the Vernon Legion says the annual poppy campaign and Remembrance Day ceremony are going ahead as planned.
Like most Canadians, John Miller is watching the news surrounding a shooting at the House of Commons and is stunned by what he’s seeing. Like everyone else, he’s waiting for answers about what happened. The timing of the shooting, and the hit and run that killed another Canadian soldier just two days before, coincides with the lead up to the annual poppy campaign and Remembrance Day itself. Miller says the events are a reminder of the role Canada’s soldiers play in the world today.
“It drives the message home this is on our doorstep,” John Miller says of the shooting at the House of Commons. “It becomes more of a reality than somebody reading a poem about the Second World War. When you have local catastrophes, it gets peoples’ attention.”
At this time, he says no changes are being made to the November 11 ceremony at Kal Tire Place.
“All this will do is bring emotions more to the surface,” Miller says.
While shocked at recent events, Miller says in some ways, he’s not surprised. Like the past president of the Kelowna Legion, he felt it was just a matter of time before there was an attack.
“I think Canada has been a little lax, depending on our neighbours in the U.S.,” Miller says. “I think we should’ve taken the bull by the horns before this and been responsible for our own security.”
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014