Applications for the "Honour Our Veterans" banner program are open between now and August 31. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Honouring vets

North Battleford legion aiming for larger banner numbers

Mar 15, 2022 | 5:33 PM

The ‘Honouring Our Veterans” banner program is officially counting applications until the end of the summer.

Starting Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 70 will accept up to 50 applications for double-sided banners which will be hung throughout the downtown area for a month this upcoming fall. North Battleford City Council recently approved the request from branch president Marilyn Clark, noting that obtaining approvals and covering costs will be the legion’s responsibility.

Clark told battlefordsNOW that this is the third year for the program in North Battleford after first seeing legions in other communities implement it and taking the idea to honour veterans locally.

“A lot of people had been asking us if we would do it,” she said. “Jumped in with both feet when we had to get permission from city hall.”

Much of the input and participation comes from decedents of veterans. As a child with two military parents, Clark said she took great pride in their service as they had the first military wedding in Canada.

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“We’re getting people that have left town to contact us saying they want to do something for their mother or father,” she said. “It’s a way of showing our veterans that we care, they’re not forgotten and we’re proud of them.”

Another goal of the program is to spark conversation, particularly of local history. Clark noted that the Battlefords owes much to that generation of citizens as a community.

“They were people that made this town to begin with, because a lot of them came back here and started families, started businesses,” she said.

The limit of 50, up from 35 last year, is to provide enough time for completion in October when the hanging period will hopefully commence.

“The banners don’t require much information; just regimental number, where they served, what they did. A small biography and pictures that we can reproduce well to go on the banner.”

Clark added that while there’s been some committee changes for the legion, the banners themselves will remain largely the same.

“When they have time this fall, drive down Main Street and take a minute to remember the families that gave up so much.”

Clark as mentioned the work done by Angie Friedrich at Battleford’s Branch No. 9. Those interested in sponsoring a banner can pick up application forms at the branch on 100^th St., as well as email rcl.70@sasktel.net.

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