Hundreds of people filled the SaskTel Center in Saskatoon as young cadet bands and bagpipes gathered in the building to remember the men and women who defended Canada in times of war and peace and the 118 000 Canadians who were killed in the service of this country.

This year marks significant anniversaries for the Canadian Armed Forces: the 80th anniversary of the Canadians landing at Juno Beach on D-Day in 1944 to confront the Nazis in the largest maritime invasion in history and the 60th anniversary of the start of the Canada’s peacekeeping mission in 1944. Cyprus when thousands of personnel were deployed to quell a crisis in the Mediterranean.

It has also been ten years since the end of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, a conflict that saw some 40,000 members of the Armed Forces take part in an international coalition aimed at destroying the Al-Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban regime. The war killed 165 Canadians — 158 soldiers and 7 civilians.

Michael Graver, a lieutenant-colonel based in Saskatoon, was stationed in Afghanistan for two years in 2009 and 2010. He said he considers being able to serve in this position a career highlight.

“In the military we have a term called no-fail task. So that means you have to accomplish a mission and I look at November 11 as a no-fail task. So we have to honor our fallen soldiers, those who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

Graver said he has a family history of veterans – with his great-grandfather fighting in World War I and his grandfather fighting in World War II.

The stands cheered as cadet bands played bagpipes. But there was also a long breath and solemn silence as family members, with tears in their eyes, watched Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty lay the wreath on behalf of those who have lost a child because of military service in Canada.

Malcolm Young, a 32-year military veteran, has served both domestically and overseas, including a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. Young said Monday’s ceremony was about reflection.

“It’s about a time when they find a special place where they can go and remember in their own way, and our thoughts are with them as they remember,” he said.

Monday marked the 93rd anniversary of the Remembrance Day ceremony in Saskatoon. It wasn’t just a day to recognize past service, as the ceremony also paid tribute to the 4,385 members of the Canadian Forces who are currently deployed.

Young said he hopes the ceremonies will help young people learn, understand and appreciate service and sacrifice.

“It’s sometimes difficult to translate what that means to a very young person, and so the best way to do that is to show them the veterans who live among them,” he said.

In Regina, hundreds of people gathered around the cenotaph in Victoria Park downtown to pay their respects and honor those who fought and died to protect this country and its freedoms.

Maj. Pete Garten, a retired Air Force officer, spent 44 years in uniform. Garten said he was happy to see the crowd, but more importantly, the young people who made up a pretty significant portion of that crowd.

Garten said her father, who was also in the military, died early in life.

“It’s a shame I’ll never know more about what he did,” he said.

“He and I never really had any contact, we never really liked talking about it, and that’s a bit typical of veterans. I think you hear that a lot. They never wanted to live again a lot of those memories.”

Garten said this disconnect left him “uninspired” to join the military and that’s how he chose to serve in the Air Force – a uniform he said he wish I could still wear it.

Mitchell Bonokoski played The last message with the trumpet, commemorating those who died in the war before a minute’s silence took place for two minutes. Bonokoski said he was grateful for the opportunity.

“It’s a time when a lot of people reflect on the people they know who have served, their family members who have served, and that’s something only we trumpeters can do,” he said. -he declared.