Veteran’s banner program honours military service

Fall marks the beginning of the annual banner initiative in Markham and Stouffville, paying homage to those who served our country.

Each community commemorates the sacrifice of veterans with local family connections.

The Stouffville effort is executed as a joint project between the town and the Legion, first initiated by MPP Paul Calandra in 2014, and features pictures of local veterans along Main Street light posts.

The Markham project is run by the Markham District Veterans Association (MDVA), with support from the City of Markham since 2019, and installs banners along Markham Main Street. This year, there are 54 banners honouring individual veterans, sponsored by friends, families, and businesses. Sponsors can honour any veteran from all eras and can sign up at the MDVA website (mdva.ca).

The banner program heralds the first of a number of events in the area honouring veterans leading up to Remembrance Day. The MDVA will, as usual, host its annual Remembrance Day ceremony on the Saturday before Remembrance Day. This year, activities will start at 10:30 am on November 8, beginning with a march from the MDVA club at 7 Washington St. to the Markham cenotaph at the southeast corner of Markham Rd. and Hwy 7. The Stouffville Legion will hold its Remembrance Day ceremony at 10:55 a.m. on November 11 at 150 Mostar St.

Visit mdva.ca or stouffvillelegion.ca for more details.