CANORA – A reporter, teacher and long-time Legion member were recognized at a Remembrance Day luncheon hosted by the Canora Legion.
Cathy Trach, the president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Rocky Neufeld, the editor of the Canora Courier.
“Rocky has shown support to veterans by his articles, photos and participation in Legion events,” Trach told the full house at the Legion dugout on Nov. 11.
Trach also presented Olivia Dereniwsky, a teacher at Canora Composite School, with a Certificate of Appreciation.
“Olivia shows support to veterans not only by her teachings in the classroom but also by being instrumental, along with her students, in painting the Commemorative Crosswalk in between Raymond's Family Restaurant and the Fire Hall.”
The Legion president wasn’t done recognizing people, as she then called up long time Legion Padre Thom Carnahan and presented him with a Certificate of Merit.
“[This is] presented to Thom in recognition of his years of service to the Canora Branch as Padre, his wonderful job of representing our interests working with the Ministerial Committee for our Remembrance Day Service, his insightful articles written for our local paper, his dedication to our Decoration Day Ceremony and his outstanding job as Honours and Awards Chairperson, all completed by using his good humour to keep us on the path of serving other Veterans,” said Trach.
“I personally would also like to thank Thom for being my co-pilot to my first ever Zone and District rallies and answering my endless questions. Thom, we want to thank you for your dedication and we wish you well in your retirement from the Legion.”
Not just a tradition, but a promise
Delilah Wilson was the winner of the Canora Legion’s bursary, worth $500. The 2025 Canora Composite School graduate had to write an essay to earn the honour. She read her essay at the luncheon, which focused on what Remembrance Day meant to her.
“Nov. 11 has always been a great day of importance and never fails to achieve the purpose of reflecting and appreciating those who have risked everything to ensure our country's safety,” she said. “Not only are we given the chance to honor those we have lost, but we can also commemorate our living veterans and share their experiences with the world.
“This is a day that will be important for the rest of time, as recognizing the heavy costs of war is the only way to prevent history from repeating itself.”
Wilson said for her, Remembrance Day is a powerful reminder of sacrifice.
“It is easy to take freedom for granted in a time of peace, but when we stop to reflect on what it cost, we come to understand how deeply indebted we are to those who came before us. For Remembrance Day, I always wear a poppy and observe with a moment of silence as I remember the courageous soldiers who held hopes for a better future.”
The bursary winner said that Remembrance Day is also about paying respects to our living veterans and teaching younger generations about everything that was done to ensure peace for them.
“When we educate others, we honor the memories of those who served. We teach them that war is not just about battles and dates, but about real people, real pain, and real courage.”
Wilson said every poppy worn, every story told, every lesson taught ensures that the sacrifices of our soldiers and veterans will continue to echo through time.
“Remembrance Day is not just a tradition. It is a duty, a promise, and a reminder that freedom always comes at a cost, and it’s our job to ensure that cost is never taken lightly.”
Recording the history of the war
The other speaker at the luncheon was Shelley Price-Jones, who spoke about her great-uncle, Pilot Officer Emery Orville Fennell.
She started her speech with a retelling of an event that happened to her in South Korea when she was living there in the late 1990s. It was about an older Korean gentleman who approached her and asked if she was American or Canadian.
She told him she was Canadian and he reached out and took her right hand in both of his and bowed deeply, a sign of significant respect. He then told her how he wanted to say thank you to her because of what a Canadian soldier did for his family during the Korean War.
His family had no food and a Canadian soldier had given them powdered milk. He had been looking since the war for a Canadian who he could say thank you to in person. Price-Jones said she was genuinely touched by his gesture.
Price-Jones went on to say that soldiers are also ambassadors, not just names and numbers, and that each person has a story. She spoke about how she is writing about her great-uncle following finding letters he had written to his sister that provide insights into his thoughts and life.
She then offered to write up pages for Canora's service people for the Royal Canadian Legion military recognition book. Anyone who is interested should contact Cathy Trach at the Canora Royal Canadian Legion.
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