A long standing tradition in Windsor has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
The Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee has cancelled this Sunday's tribute service at the downtown Cenotaph.
President Paul Lauzon says the service remembers area veterans along with legionnaires who have passed away within the last year. (June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020)
"We have 133 veterans that have passed away since June 1, 2019," says Lauzon. "We had 72 comrades, which are legion members and associates, some of our Windsor Veterans Committee passed away."
He says it was a tough decision to cancel the event.
"We certainly don't want anyone to get sick while attending our event," says Lauzon. "We also have a lot of people in our committee, who are older and we certainly don't want to subject them to any kind of health problems as well."
At attention at the Remembrance Garden outside of the WFCU Centre. May 8, 2017 (Photo by Teresinha Medeiros)
Lauzon is hoping the public can take a minute on Sunday afternoon for a moment of silence.
"We apologize for not being able to do the service," says Lauzon. "We'll pick it up next year hopefully, god willing and at 12 o'clock if they want to take a minute to silently remember their loved one and that's what we'll do with the Windsor Veterans as well."
Lauzon says the service has been happening for 93 years.