Decoration Day plans in place for Manitoulin Island

By Rosalind Russell – A branch of the Royal Canadian Legion branch is hosting this year’s Decoration Day on Manitoulin Island.

Branch 514 is hosting the formal ceremony on Sunday, June 1, at 2 pm to honour the men and women who have served and are serving the country in the Canadian Forces.

Decoration Day is a Canadian holiday that recognizes veterans of Canada’s military.

The celebration began in 1890 as a form of protest for veterans of the Battle of Ridgeway who felt their contributions to protecting Canada during the Fenian Raids were being overlooked by the government of the day.

This became an annual event, taking place on the weekend nearest the original June 2 date and accumulating more participants as further conflicts resulted in more Canadian veterans.

The day is still marked in Canada but has been largely eclipsed by Remembrance Day.

Following the ceremony, everyone is invited to the branch for a luncheon and an afternoon of fellowship from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

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