Lake Country remembers

Rotarians in Lake Country have set up a field of crosses at Memorial Park.

It’s believed to be the first such Remembrance display in the community. The crosses pay tribute to 27 of the fallen, with their rank, area of service and the age when they died.

According to the District of Lake Country, members of the Rotary Club of Lake Country have spent the past six to eight months researching local soldiers who gave their lives in service. On Sunday, they installed 4-foot-high crosses in the park near the Berry Road roundabout, near the cenotaph.

Rotary Club member Sandy Wightman helped spearhead the effort.

"I took it to the club. We basically saw what was happening in Calgary and in Kelowna and thought that we would try to do something very similar in Lake Country," said Wightman.

"There is a cenotaph in Lake Country but it doesn't list the veterans who were in any of the major campaigns for Canada, so we thought we'd mimic what the Kelowna Rotary Club has done."

The Field of Crosses has been an annual event in Calgary since 2009 and in Kelowna since 2018.

Lake Country residents are invited to visit the Remembrance Garden of Crosses to reflect on the fallen and what their service meant to the community.

The Rotary Club would also like to hear from anyone with information about a local service member who could help complete the display. You are asked to reach out through the club’s website or by emailing wightmansandy@gmail.com.

The crosses will stay on display until Nov. 12, 2024.