Assumption Park turns red and white in honour of fallen soldiers
128 flags to represent 128,000 Canadian service men and women from the Boer War
Terri Davis-Fitzpatrick remembers the stories her father told her of what it was like during the Second World War. It was those stories along with lessons her now 95-year-old father, Charles Davis, taught her that inspired her to work on preserving the memory of military officials.
"He's always impressed upon us the importance of freedom and the importance of our veterans", said Davis-Fitzpatrick.
That led her to seek out the Veterans Voices of Canada. The organization holds the Flags of Remembrance ceremony every year in 15 cities. For the first time, Windsor has been added to that list.
"We got all our volunteers, some of them are veterans. We are erecting 15-foot flag poles here on the waterfront at Assumption Park right near our North Wall memorial. And it's for all to see," she said.
On Thursday, 128 Canadian flags were installed on the waterfront at Assumption Park. The flags will be tied up until Saturday October 7 when an official ceremony will takes place.
"These 128 flags are here to represent 128,000 Canadian service men and women from the Boer War to present that are missing in action and killed in action," said Davis-Fitzpatrick.
Most cities that take part in the Flags of Remembrance erect the flags along major area highways. Davis-Fitzpatrick said she decided to have the flags stationed on Riverside Drive because of its high-traffic and views on both sides of the border.
"I hope everyone gets an appreciation, respect and honour for our veterans who have fought for our country and our freedom," she said.
In addition to the flag ceremony, Davis-Fitzpatrick has been filming video testimonies from veterans as a way to preserve their memory. She said so far 40 videos have been made but she's looking to do more.
"We're always looking to hear from our veterans and capture their stories so we can educate our youth."
Veterans looking to be featured in a video can contact Davis-Fitzpatrick at tdfvetvoice@gmail.com.
The Windsor Flags of Remembrance ceremony takes place Saturday, October 7th at 1:30 p.m. at Assumption Park.
Melissa Nakhavoly