The Town of LaSalle will be just one of many municipalities across Canada honouring veterans and those who continue to serve on Remembrance Day.
The town will be holding a Remembrance Day Ceremony honouring veterans at LaSalle Cenotaph Park at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.
LaSalle Cenotaph Park was built in 2014, utilizing the sun to honour veterans. A map behind the monument is highlighted by sunlight across central Europe at 11 a.m. on Remembrance Day, commemorating the day year after year.
Earlier this year, town council approved a veterans commemorative crosswalk on Normandy Street at Cenotaph Park, with custom veteran banners, honouring local veterans. The banners have the name and photo of a LaSalle veterans.
LaSalle deputy mayor, and veteran, Michael Akpata will visit St. Joseph's Catholic High School for a full service at 8:55 a.m. before joining the town's ceremony.
Akpata joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1987 and served in Afghanistan in 2007, where 22 other solider's lost their lives.
He says the veteran banners honours those who served locally.
"We've got veterans banners of members of our community that are up around the Cenotaph on Normandy Street... what is happening, from a veterans perspective, is very, very inspiring that people are stopping to pause, reflect on the freedoms we have as Canadians, and remember that hundreds of thousands of other Canadians gave their lives."
Akpata says he has a responsibility as a veteran to speak to the younger generation about those who lost their lives fighting for Canada.
"When my children were small they called World War II the 'black and white war' because all of the films were in black and white. For my war... it was shot in HD. And so I say this gratefully respectfully, it is the young people - the next generation - that will have the common sense to seek out ways to stop war, or unfortunately when politicians and governments disagree, to fight the next one."
He says take a moment and reflect on the Canadian flag and what it represents.
"Your freedom isn't free, and your Canadian citizenship grants you responsibility, not rights. There's one day where every soldier who sat in a fox hole, was on a machine gun, was in a carrier around a ship, wonders if it was worth it. Remembrance Day is a day that the public can express their appreciation for those who have served, and let the families of the fallen know they'll never be forgotten."
Members of LaSalle Police, LaSalle Fire, Canada Border Services Agency officers and other organizations will be in attendance of the town ceremony, as well as local veterans, and members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594.
For those who aren't able to attend the ceremony in person, it will be livestreamed on LaSalle's YouTube channel.