By Bobbi Ann Brady
Last week was filled with Remembrance Day services. I am always heartened at the number of services held across Haldimand-Norfolk. I want to thank all the people who laid wreaths on behalf of the province of Ontario and me.
In memory of the fallen and those who serve and have served, on November 5th, I re-tabled a motion I previously tabled last year in the Ontario Legislature, which reads: That, in the opinion of this House, the Government of Ontario should honour Canadian military veterans and soldiers by directing municipalities to set aside, and secure in perpetuity, a painted crosswalk in remembrance of their service and sacrifice.
I’m so pleased to see many municipalities across Ontario take the initiative to bring forward their own like-minded motions, including right here; Haldimand County Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley brought forward her own crosswalk motion.
Actions like this speak to the belief that a moment of silence, poppies pinned to our lapels represent a solemn promise — they are a collective act of gratitude and reflection. To truly remember is to honour not just the fallen, but the lives they lived, the sacrifices they made, and the freedoms they preserved.
I was humbled to stand in the Legislature and relate my feelings to colleagues at Queen’s Park and right here in Haldimand-Norfolk. I urged those present to imagine war time, the quiet moments on porches and train platforms, in kitchens and fields — when mothers, fathers, sisters, and sweethearts stood tall and brave, even as their hearts broke. They folded letters into trembling hands, packed rations and rosaries, and watched their sons, brothers, and husbands disappear down the road.
There were no guarantees, only hope. Hope that their boys would be safe. Hope that the war would end quickly. Hope that the world would somehow be better for the sacrifice about to be made.
And behind every soldier’s step marched the silent strength of their families — enduring the ache of absence, the fear of telegrams, and the long, uncertain wait. They held onto memories and prayers, planting gardens and raising younger siblings, keeping the home fires burning as their loved ones faced the unimaginable.
Across Canada — from the wheat fields of the Prairies to the fishing villages of the East, from small towns like those here in Haldimand-Norfolk to the bustling streets of Montreal and Toronto — families stood at doorsteps and train stations, watching their young men leave home for war. Some were farm boys, others factory workers, students, or newlyweds — and many were barely old enough to shave. They left with a uniform, a kit bag, and the hopes of an entire nation resting on their shoulders.
Canada has always punched above its weight in times of conflict. From the muddy trenches of Vimy Ridge to the stormy beaches of Normandy, from the icy Korean hills to peacekeeping missions across the globe, our country has stood for freedom, democracy, and human dignity. But behind every act of courage on the front lines stood a family back home — sacrificing in their own quiet way.
For every medal awarded and every battle fought, there was a mother who waited by the radio, a father who checked the mailbox with a lump in his throat, and a sweetheart who pressed a photo to her heart each night. These families bore the burden of uncertainty and loss with courage that deserves equal remembrance.
Our soldiers didn’t just fight battles — they secured the very foundations of the life we live today. They fought for freedom: the right to speak without fear, to worship as we choose, to vote, to gather, to raise our children in peace.
Let us never forget what they gave — and what we gained.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk