The Billy Bishop Museum’s 2026 Honouring Our Local Veterans (HOLV) ceremony will be held on Oct. 25 at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 6. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., followed by the ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
Ten veterans from Grey and Bruce counties will be added to the list of 230 veterans recognized over the 26-year history of the HOLV program.
The ceremony will feature a member of Canada’s only all-Black regiment from the First World War, a pilot who was killed while attempting to escape an internment camp during the Second World War, a woman from Tobermory who served at the National Headquarters of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps during and after the Second World War, one of the first Canadians deployed with the United Nations Emergency Force in Egypt in 1957, three men who participated in different phases of the wars in the Balkans, and more.
This year’s cohort combines for a remarkable total of 129 years of service. Their service spans various locations, including France, Italy, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, as well as operations during floods in Winnipeg and for Arctic sovereignty.
The event is free and open to the public. Organizers hope to see the community turn out to show support for local veterans and learn about their service before Remembrance Day.