Christie Mullen, Real Estate
1673 Richmond Street N6G 2N3 London, ON, Canada

Downtown London comes to a halt to honour fallen By Dale Carruthers, The London Free Press Sunday, November 11, 2012 8:19:26 EST PM... The hustle and bustle of downtown London ground to a respectful halt Sunday morning as the largest crowd in recent memory paused to pay tribute to Canada’s men and women in uniform. The Remembrance Day Parade started at the Delta Armouries Hotel on Dundas Street before slowly making its way to the cenotaph at Victoria Park, where Londoners from all walks of life gathered to pay their respects. Some in attendance donned their Sunday best, many wore uniforms, while others wore T-shirts and jeans, but they were all there for the same reason: to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Old men and women in uniform, who went to war when they were not much older than the teenagers along the parade route, marched and were wheeled along the street. Behind them, younger servicepeople marched, eyes forward. All wore blood-red poppies above their hearts. A general salute was followed by the singing of O Canada accompanied by bagpipes, before a T-Bird jet roared overhead on a low pass over Victoria Park. It’s the ultimate thank-you that we can pay to our veterans and those who have sacrificed the most so that we in Canada can have such a great nation, London Mayor Joe Fontana said. Fontana, representing city hall, was one of nearly two dozen people who placed a wreath at the cenotaph during the ceremony. It’s an absolute honour to do it, he said. Of course, I did it when I was a member of Parliament for 18 years. London Police Chief Brad Duncan estimated the crowd at many thousands and said it’s the largest group he’s experienced during his time as chief. The warm and sunny weather, with temperatures double the seasonal average of 7C, was at least partially responsible for the large turnout. John O’Quinn, the MC for the parade, said there’s been a surge in Remembrance Day ceremony attendance since Canada joined the war in Afghanistan. O’Quinn, 77, who served with the Royal Canadian Regiment for 38 years, said it gives veterans comfort to see people haven’t forgotten the sacrifices some Canadians have made for their country. The veterans that are in the parade, they’re here because they’re remembering their friends that didn’t come back, he said. [email protected] Avery Mullen (5) and her brother Carson (8) watch the Remembrance Day ceremony rin London, Ontario on Sunday, November 11, 2012. DEREK RUTTAN/ The London Free Press /QMI AGENCY