The presence of twenty homeless tenters camped near a Halifax cenotaph has forced Remembrance Day ceremonies across the harbour, raising the ire of a former Mountie.Downtown Halifax’s Grand Parade, an area between the city’s oldest church and city hall, is normally where such ceremonies are held. Due to the tenters, the ceremony will be moved to Sullivan’s Pond in the suburb of Dartmouth. The premier, lieutenant-governor and Halifax Mayor Savage will conduct ceremonies there.Craig Hood, the executive director of the Nova Scotia branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, told the Canadian Press the situation was “unfortunate” but the legion had decided it wasn’t necessary to displace the tenters. Remembrance is “a state of mind, rather than a specific location,” he said.Retired Mountie Leland Keane expressed his displeasure at the decision to Mayor Mike Savage and his local councillor.“When I moved to Halifax at the age of 6 in 1970 I remember my first Remembrance Day at the Halifax Citadel watching the 105MM guns fire their salute. My dad, a veteran of Korea took me,” Keane wrote in an email.“Since then I have faithfully paraded as a member of the RCMP on November 11 out of respect for those who served . They never had the fortune to retire and live the life they richly deserved. They made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation and their community. I served with some of these brave warriors. I have lost friends and colleagues in the service of our nation. One died in my arms!”Keane said he continued to attend the ceremony after his retirement from the Mounties in 2019 “out of respect for those who were not as fortunate as I to survive.”“Shame on both of you for allowing 20 people in tents to disrupt services for those who can not send you this email,” Keane wrote.“Is this the same reason that the Peace Officers Memorial on October 15 was held in Dartmouth as well?!"“The reason is of course that you and your councillors are not doing your job. A cenotaph is not a tent city the same as a bus is not a billboard for BLM or PRIDE. It is a bus not a political sign. Get to work and remove these tents. Do your job."“There will be prayer at my Windsor Junction Cenotaph whether woke politicians want it or not. My fallen comrades will be respected despite the lack of action by your offices at the Cenotaph in Halifax.”In a reply shared with the Western Standard, Savage expressed sympathy for Leland’s position, but pointed to the Legion for its decision and the provincial government for housing problems.“Thank you for your email. I share your disappointment that the Nunavut and Nova Scotia Command of the Royal Canadian Legion has determined it will not host Remembrance Day ceremonies in the Halifax Grand Parade this November 11, but I understand the decision,” wrote Savage.“Halifax Regional Council shares a desire for people to be housed with dignity and we continue to work toward that end with the Provincial government, which has the jurisdiction for social housing and shelters.”Savage said “our plan” was to get the encamped into “fixed roof shelter” but a nationwide “deep housing crisis” was also affecting Halifax.“The Legion showed understanding of the current circumstances and demonstrated compassion for people who have very little. I respect their position and I encourage our community to take time to honour all who have served this country, including those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”Keane forwarded the correspondence to MP Darrell Samson.“Please give the mayor a call and help him get rid of these tents before November 11,” wrote Keane.“He's blaming the province for him not doing his job.”Keane also forwarded the correspondence to Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The presence of twenty homeless tenters camped near a Halifax cenotaph has forced Remembrance Day ceremonies across the harbour, raising the ire of a former Mountie.Downtown Halifax’s Grand Parade, an area between the city’s oldest church and city hall, is normally where such ceremonies are held. Due to the tenters, the ceremony will be moved to Sullivan’s Pond in the suburb of Dartmouth. The premier, lieutenant-governor and Halifax Mayor Savage will conduct ceremonies there.Craig Hood, the executive director of the Nova Scotia branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, told the Canadian Press the situation was “unfortunate” but the legion had decided it wasn’t necessary to displace the tenters. Remembrance is “a state of mind, rather than a specific location,” he said.Retired Mountie Leland Keane expressed his displeasure at the decision to Mayor Mike Savage and his local councillor.“When I moved to Halifax at the age of 6 in 1970 I remember my first Remembrance Day at the Halifax Citadel watching the 105MM guns fire their salute. My dad, a veteran of Korea took me,” Keane wrote in an email.“Since then I have faithfully paraded as a member of the RCMP on November 11 out of respect for those who served . They never had the fortune to retire and live the life they richly deserved. They made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation and their community. I served with some of these brave warriors. I have lost friends and colleagues in the service of our nation. One died in my arms!”Keane said he continued to attend the ceremony after his retirement from the Mounties in 2019 “out of respect for those who were not as fortunate as I to survive.”“Shame on both of you for allowing 20 people in tents to disrupt services for those who can not send you this email,” Keane wrote.“Is this the same reason that the Peace Officers Memorial on October 15 was held in Dartmouth as well?!"“The reason is of course that you and your councillors are not doing your job. A cenotaph is not a tent city the same as a bus is not a billboard for BLM or PRIDE. It is a bus not a political sign. Get to work and remove these tents. Do your job."“There will be prayer at my Windsor Junction Cenotaph whether woke politicians want it or not. My fallen comrades will be respected despite the lack of action by your offices at the Cenotaph in Halifax.”In a reply shared with the Western Standard, Savage expressed sympathy for Leland’s position, but pointed to the Legion for its decision and the provincial government for housing problems.“Thank you for your email. I share your disappointment that the Nunavut and Nova Scotia Command of the Royal Canadian Legion has determined it will not host Remembrance Day ceremonies in the Halifax Grand Parade this November 11, but I understand the decision,” wrote Savage.“Halifax Regional Council shares a desire for people to be housed with dignity and we continue to work toward that end with the Provincial government, which has the jurisdiction for social housing and shelters.”Savage said “our plan” was to get the encamped into “fixed roof shelter” but a nationwide “deep housing crisis” was also affecting Halifax.“The Legion showed understanding of the current circumstances and demonstrated compassion for people who have very little. I respect their position and I encourage our community to take time to honour all who have served this country, including those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”Keane forwarded the correspondence to MP Darrell Samson.“Please give the mayor a call and help him get rid of these tents before November 11,” wrote Keane.“He's blaming the province for him not doing his job.”Keane also forwarded the correspondence to Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.
