Remembrance Day ceremony at the John D. Bradley Centre, November 11, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)Remembrance Day ceremony at the John D. Bradley Centre, November 11, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)
Chatham

Veterans: Make Remembrance Day A Holiday

Some veterans in Chatham-Kent say having Remembrance Week is nice, but they'd rather see November 11 become a statutory holiday in Ontario.

"So many people died for our country, served our country, got hurt, that it should be a holiday," says former Private Bob Grant. "Not just an hour, or a service, but the whole day should be honoured."

The Ontario Legislature passed the bill earlier this month, marking that the province will take up the week leading up to November 11 to honour those who lived and died serving Canada in the military.

While they appreciate the sentiment, many veterans and legion members who spoke to BlackburnNews.com still feel the sting of losing out on the chance to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday.

"I was really upset when we had the vote whether to have Family Day off work, or November 11," says Royal Canadian Legion member Roy. "Family Day took precedent, and I thought, [Remembrance Day] should be it."

Starting next year, Remembrance Week will take place between November 5 and November 11.

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RELATED: Chatham-Kent Remembers (Gallery)

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