Sentries stand guard at the cenotaph during Remebrance Day ceremonies at the garrison Tuesday, November 11, 2014 in Saint Jean-sur-Richilieu, Que.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
On the tiny Saint-Jean military base, they've been marking Remembrance Day in the same dignified way for decades, and while thoughts of the two military men recently killed by troubled homegrown extremists were top of mind, soldiers, sailors and Air Force personnel found solace in following the program.
About 1,800 people, mostly military personnel but also their families, veterans and a few civilians, stood under an unseasonably warm sun as the familiar pageant unfolded on the base parade ground. New recruits starting boot camp at the garrison, with freshly shorn heads and their best blue jeans, stood at attention.
Hundreds of soldiers marched in parade while hundreds of colleagues watched. Everyone stood for the national anthem, for a prayer by the padre, a few words by the commanding officer. Bagpipes skirled. Two minutes were spent in silence after which a horn played the Last Post. There were no gun salutes, no doves, no displays of emotion.
"People asked if we would do anything different, and the answer is no. We stick to the formula. It's not just a homage for events of recent weeks, we're looking at the memory of thousands and thousands of Canadians today," said Major Jean-
François Noël, the padre who led prayer and a moment of reflection. "But the events here and in Ottawa certainly enliven our consciousness for why we are here."
Attendance at Tuesday's parade was about normal, but an unusually big crowd showed up at ceremonies held Sunday at two cenotaphs in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was run down in a parking lot on Oct. 20. His family, including his sister Suzanne, who have held their privacy close, were at one of the cenotaph ceremonies. Saint-Jean Mayor Michel Fecteau laid a wreath Tuesday, and helped the warrant officer's family do likewise Sunday. He met with the family afterward and agreed they will work together to create a monument to WO Vincent in time for the community's 350th anniversary in 2016.
"The family wants something humble, modest," Mr. Fecteau said. "We will work with them and the military, very carefully. We can't live in the past, we need to remember the past."
The mayor said his community is moving on from the attack. Police have been working to test and update security measures at the many military-related installations in town.