This is a banner year for the Haliburton Legion.
This week, flags commemorating 24 of the community’s military veterans were hung in the downtown – part of an effort to bring more awareness to and honour the sacrifices many have made defending their country.
The project was spearheaded by legion president Mike Waller, who started looking into getting banners made last fall.
“I’m surprised it’s taken Haliburton so long to do this,” Waller said. “I think it’s important that we honour the people who came before us, show respect for what they had to do. If they didn’t give what they did, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Waller said he approached Dysart et al township and the Haliburton BIA earlier this year and was given the green light to proceed. There are 12 banners, with a service member honoured on either side. The bulk are men and women who served during the First and Second World Wars, with some from the more-recent excursions in Afghanistan.
The banners state the veteran’s name, which war they participated in, the year they were born and the year they passed. Waller noted only one of those included is still living.
This is the second display to debut in Haliburton County recently after Irondale Church had banners made up for its ‘Service, Courage and Sacrifice’ series in 2023. The church honoured 40 people associated with the hamlet who served Canada in various aspects of war.
Waller said he wanted to bring something similar to Haliburton after hearing about the Irondale display and seeing new ones released in Bancroft and Apsley. He said there was an effort about eight years ago to bring banners to Haliburton, but it didn’t get off the ground.
Each side of a banner costs $150, which is covered by the families of those featured. Waller said he opened nominations in the spring, with all those that applied making the cut.
He said Gerald Sharp, who installed the pieces, and Dysart et al coun. Pat Casey, who assisted with research, were key contributors to the campaign.
Casey has three family members featured, his grandparents Earl Casey, Holly Sisson and Sylvia Sisson. He told The Highlander that he believes more needs to be done to remember those who paved the way for future generations.
“I think Remembrance Day activities have started to wane over the years… I thought this was a great way to commemorate the bravery our forefathers had in putting their lives on the line for freedom,” Casey said. “The freedoms we have today didn’t come by chance. These people had to work and sacrifice for it.”
Casey and Barry Hart will be at the Haliburton Legion Nov. 10 and Hal High Nov. 11 to tell tales about their grandfathers, who were both tail gunners during the Second World War. Presentations at the legion are open to the public, running at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Waller said he’s hoping to grow the banner collection, saying anyone with a military background can be included.
“As long as they were in the service, that’s all that matters,” Waller said. “Next year, I’m hoping to get them up in mid-October, that way they can be up for a month and people can really take notice.”
Anyone interested can contact Waller at 705-854-9237.
