Summerlanders will take time to remember on Friday during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Memorial Park.
The event, to honour those who have served in various wars and peacekeeping missions, will take place in Memorial Park at 11 a.m., with the parade beginning at 10:45 a.m.
Following the ceremony, including two minutes of silence, participants are invited to the Royal Canadian Legion on Rosedale Avenue for lunch. There will be entertainment from 2 to 6 p.m, followed by a Remembrance Day dinner at 6 p.m.
John Dorn, president of the Summmerland Legion, said there are 30 to 35 World War II veterans in Summerland, including two who are more than 100 years old.
Dorn said it is important to mark Remembrance Day.
World War II lasted form 1939 to 1945. The youngest veterans, who enlisted near the end of the war at the age of 17, would now be at least 83 years old.
“With the few veterans we have, the connection between those who served and the younger generation is being broken,” he sad. “Remembrance Day is the opportunity to make the younger generations aware of the sacrifices made by our veterans.”
He added that those who are now serving in Afghanistan will need support when they return from their service.
While the connection with World War II is being lost, Dorn said attendance at Remembrance Day ceremonies has been increasing in recent years.
“The younger generation is in fact taking a greater interest in it,” he said.