Coquitlam encourages residents to honour veterans in meaningful ways this Remembrance Day through community initiatives such as poppy painting and messages of remembrance.
COQUITLAM, B.C., November 4, 2024 - Coquitlam encourages residents to honour veterans in meaningful ways this Remembrance Day through community initiatives such as poppy painting and messages of remembrance.
Remembrance Day Services on November 11
Coquitlam’s traditional Remembrance Day ceremony and parade, hosted by the Coquitlam Royal Canadian Legion Branch 263, will be held on November 11 at 11 a.m. and anyone wishing to pay their respects is welcome. The parade will start at Como Lake Middle School (1121 King Albert Avenue) at approximately 10:15 a.m., concluding at the Blue Mountain Park Cenotaph (975 King Albert Street), where the ceremony will begin around 10:30 a.m.
Other Ways to Honour Veterans in Meaningful Ways
In recognition of the achievements and sacrifices of those who have served our nation in times of war and military conflict, Coquitlam residents are encouraged to join the Park Spark team in showing respect for veterans through a variety of meaningful activities this year:
- Poppy Painting along Veteran's Way– Stop by Blue Mountain Park (975 King Albert Avenue) to paint a large poppy on the grass along Veteran’s Way as part of a temporary display. Participate at any of the following times:
- Monday, November 4 from 1:30 - 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 5 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 6 from 1:30 – 4 p.m.
- Friday, November 8 from 3 – 5 p.m.
- Saturday, November 9 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, November 10 from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Poppy Painting at Spirit Square – Join us at Spirit Square on Burlington Drive, across the street from Coquitlam City Hall, on November 7 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. to add your painted poppy to the temporary outdoor display.
- Messages of Remembrance – Write a message of remembrance and tie it to a tree with yellow ribbon along Veteran's Way in Blue Mountain Park. The messages are kept on the trees until November 18 at which point they will be transcribed and forwarded to Canadian veteran groups. If you are unable to go in person, you can email your message to parkspark@coquitlam.ca, and your message will be transcribed and tied to a tree for you.
Veteran Experiences – Indigenous and Racialized Communities
November 8 is National Indigenous Veterans Day in Canada and honours the many First Nations, Inuit and Métis soldiers, their contributions, and their sacrifices to military service.
Many Indigenous Peoples and racialized people proudly served in uniform despite facing discrimination and racism. During the First World War, more than 4,000 Indigenous soldiers served and in the Second World War more than 3,000 First Nations members, as well as an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits, served. The call for military service was answered once more during the Korean War (1950-53).
First commemorated in 1994, National Indigenous Veterans Day invites Canadians to better understand the role Indigenous veterans have played in Canadian history and honour their sacrifices.
To learn more, visit veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories/indigenous-veterans.
Other racialized groups also played integral roles prior to and during the First and Second World Wars. To learn more about these often unheard military stories, visit veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories.
Other Opportunities to Mark Remembrance Day
Register for other Remembrance Day events and activities including:
- Dogwood Pavilion – Remembrance Day Concert: Join the Vancouver Naval Veterans Band to recognize Remembrance Day on Wednesday, November 6 from 1:15 – 2:45 p.m., as they perform musical favourites from years past. Registration includes light refreshments. For more information or to register, search Course ID 00160635 at coquitlam.ca/registration.
- Dogwood Pavilion – Remembrance Day Tea: On Saturday, November 11 from 12:30 – 2 p.m., join staff for an afternoon tea to recognize Remembrance Day. There will be live entertainment and opportunities to share poems and stories. For more information or to register, search Course ID 00160633 at coquitlam.ca/registration.
For more information, visit coquitlam.ca/RemembranceDay.
Honouring Veterans Throughout the Year
The City commemorates the lives of fallen Coquitlam soldiers on rolls of honour on the second floor of City Hall, and at the cenotaph at Blue Mountain Park, open year-round.
Coquitlam continues to provide free parking in City lots and street parking spaces for those displaying a veteran’s licence plate, a tradition started in 2006. For information, visit the Parking Regulations section at coquitlam.ca/parking.
Media contact:
Sara Yastremski
Manager Parks Services
604-927-6224
SYastremski@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-kwuh-tlum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.