2026 Remembrance Day Address from Mayor Rob Weir

Remembrance Day Address From Mayor Rob Weir

Good Afternoon Everyone,

To our veterans, serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, members of the Royal Canadian Legion, first responders, community volunteers, students, families and residents of Greater Madawaska, thank you for joining us today.

Every November 11, we come together to remember. We stand side by side, fall silent and reflect on the sacrifices made for our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

Behind that silence are real people, real families and stories that changed lives forever.

The men and women who served left their homes, their families and their communities. Many were very young, with their whole lives ahead of them.

Some came home, Others never did, And for many who returned, the effects of war stayed with them and their families for years.

Behind every name on a memorial was a person, a family and a future that mattered.

Here in Greater Madawaska, those stories are part of our own history.

Our Township brings together communities with deep roots: Bagot, Blythfield, Brougham, Griffith and Matawatchan.

People from these communities answered the call to serve.

Families waited for loved ones to return, and some carried the loss of those who never did.

These weren’t distant figures in a history book. They were our neighbours, our relatives and our fellow Canadians.

Their stories live on in family photographs, old records, local memorials and the memories passed from one generation to the next.

We have a responsibility to keep those stories alive, especially for our young people, so they understand that the freedoms we enjoy came at a cost.

We also gather at a time when events around the world remind us that peace cannot be taken for granted. Conflict and suffering continue to affect families in many places. We know how much is at stake when peace is lost.

As Mayor, one thing I have come to appreciate is that Greater Madawaska is at its best when people look out for one another.

We see it in our volunteers, our neighbours and the people who quietly step forward when help is needed. That same spirit of service is part of what we honour today.

A strong community isn’t measured only by what we build or accomplish. It’s measured by how we treat one another, especially when times are difficult.

My father’s discharge certificate from the Second World War is dated September 25, 1945. It carries these words:

“To return to Civil Life on Demobilization.”

He was just 17 years old, not quite 18.

Think about that for a moment.  At an age when most young people are just beginning to think about their future, my father was making the transition from military service back to civilian life.

Those few words have always struck me. They speak of a return to family, to home, to work and to the chance to build a future.

They also remind me that behind every person who served was a young life, and often a family hoping and waiting for them to come home.

My father was fortunate. He had the opportunity to return to civil life. Not every family received that same news.

That is why November 11 means more to me than a date on the calendar. It reminds me that the freedom to live an ordinary life, raise a family, build a community and look ahead to tomorrow is something we should never take for granted.

So, what do we owe those who came before us?

We cannot repay those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We cannot give families back the years they lost or fully understand what those who served experienced.

But we can honour them through the choices we make.

We can listen to one another, show respect for each other, even when we disagree.

We can treat people with dignity.

We can teach our children courage, compassion and service.

And we can work together to leave Greater Madawaska, and this country, better than we found them.

As we leave here today, I hope we carry more than the memory of this ceremony.

I hope we carry the stories of those who served, gratitude for their sacrifice and a renewed appreciation for the peace and freedom we share.

To those who served. To those who sacrificed. To those who never came home, and to the families who remember them still:

Greater Madawaska remembers. Canada remembers. And we will carry their memory forward.

Lest we forget.

Thank you.