Cadets honour Canadian and U.S. veterans at Greenwood Cemetery

The first snowstorm of the season arrived as Fort Erie cadets stood guard over U.S. veterans’ graves at Greenwood Cemetery on Sunday afternoon.

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 71 hosted the Remembrance ceremony, where local army and air cadets stood guard as U.S. flags were placed on the graves of 16 U.S. soldiers buried at Greenwood Cemetery.

Legion Branch 71 public relations officer Lesley Kinghorn told Fort Erie Radio the event was about respecting veterans, noting that those who served in the Second World War are now in their 90s or older and passing away quickly.

“They’ve earned our respect, and they’ve earned the right to never be forgotten,” said Kinghorn.

This ceremony was the first of its kind for Branch 71. Kinghorn said Branch 71 travelled to Buffalo last year to honour Canadian veterans and wanted to return the gesture.

“We went over to the Legion in Buffalo last year while they did our Canadian veterans. So we decided that this year we’d do the same thing for them, that we’d do the American ones. It’s different, but they deserve it,” said Kinghorn.

Mayor Wayne Redekop, who attended the ceremony and placed a flag on a U.S. veteran’s grave, told Fort Erie Radio the gesture carries special meaning amid current Canada-U.S. tensions. The trade war accelerated last month after the U.S. ended all trade talks with Canada following a controversial ad condemning U.S. tariffs that aired during the World Series.

“It’s an indication of the closeness of the relationship between Canada and the United States,” said Redekop.

“At a time like the one we’re going through right now, we can’t lose sight of the strong ties between the people that live on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border,” he added.

Cadets maintained a silent watch in heavy precipitation as residents laid flags across the quiet cemetery. Afterward, attendees gathered for hot chocolate at the Legion branch on Garrison Road.

Kinghorn said Greenwood Cemetery holds 393 Canadian veterans, 16 American veterans, and one Spanish-American War veteran, some dating back to the 1800s.

The Legion plans to continue the cross-border ceremony next year, hoping it remains a tradition that bridges both communities.

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