'It's just Newfoundland's Day:' Memorial Day ceremony honours soldiers lost at Beaumont-Hamel

3 day_ago 3

Hundred of radical gathered astatine the National War Memorial successful St. John's for the Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion. The ceremonial reminded onlookers that July 1 is not conscionable Canada Day for Newfoundlanders, but besides a time to retrieve the lives mislaid successful the warfare astatine Beaumont-Hamel.

Hundreds attended the National War Memorial ceremonial successful St. John's

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 01, 2025 4:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 12 hours ago

Hundreds gathered successful St. John's connected Tuesday to commemorate the nonaccomplishment of Newfoundland soldiers successful the First World War.

The Royal Canadian Legion hosted the yearly Memorial Day parade and ceremony astatine the National War Memorial. This besides marked 1 year since the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed astatine the Memorial.

Retired U.S. Air Force seasoned Ray Reiser was among those successful attendance for the ceremony. He said connected Memorial Day, helium remembers the sacrifice made by his father-in-law successful the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel.

"He was 1 of the ones that answered the rotation telephone that morning," said Reiser. Of the 800 Newfoundlanders who went into conflict that greeting successful France successful 1916, only 68 answered the adjacent day's rotation call.

Although July 1 is besides Canada Day, Reiser said, for him, "it's conscionable Newfoundland's Day."

Former subordinate of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, Robert Marshall, besides said Memorial Day is precise important for Newfoundland.

"Before we were portion of Canada, we were a dominion and we were our ain country," helium said. "It's precise important and important for radical to retrieve specified an event."

St. John's nonmigratory Deidre Smith said it was important to bring her sons truthful they tin larn Newfoundland's history.

"It's truly important for them to cognize wherever they've travel from and who's died for their freedoms," said Smith.

Retired subordinate of the Canadian Armed Forces, Nick Ryan, and his woman Mary Ryan brought on household from New Brunswick to the Memorial Day ceremony.

"It's fantastic to beryllium capable to archer them astir wherefore we're present due to the fact that it's not each conscionable Canada Day celebrations," said Mary Ryan.

A radical of Rugby players from British Columbia besides attended the ceremony.

Penticton Harlequins teammates, Babalola Durojaiye, Seamus Grant and Moses Collins on with their manager Chris Remington said they enjoyed watching the ceremony.

Remington said helium was blessed to bring the players to an important event.

WATCH | The yearly ceremonial astatine the National War Memorial:

Hundreds stitchery for Memorial Day successful St. John’s

The streets of downtown St. John’s were afloat with radical paying their respects astatine the yearly Memorial Day parade.

The teammates, who are heading into Grade 12, said they appreciated the ceremony.

"They are the instauration for everything that we bask now, for the lives we get to unrecorded with our families and friends. They are the reasons we person anticipation for tomorrow," said Durojaiye.

Download our free CBC News app to motion up for propulsion alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to sojourn our landing page.