Representatives from MLA Leela Sharon Aheer’s office will be observing Remembrance Day this year, in both Chestermere and the Town of Strathmore.

As a member of the Legion in Chestermere, Aheer understands that many of the freedoms we enjoy today as Canadians were gained through the efforts of veterans, some who died at war.

The MLA says, “I really don't have words to describe what it means to me to live in a country like Canada that was defended. Our veterans are the reasons why we have the freedoms, the reasons why we are able to live in this amazing country, the two minutes that we ask for on Remembrance Day not only are necessary, but the respect that is shown at that time should be actually leveraged through almost everything else that we do and the respect that we have for people.”

Aheer explained that the government is highlighting local soldiers through a Veterans’ Week celebration versus just Remembrance Day.

“As we go through this week, we've been honoring our indigenous veterans. We're honoring women veterans, we are honoring first responders and others who are on the front lines outside of the scope of being military people,” she said.

“For me, there's just never enough time to be able to honour them, especially because a lot of our veterans from the First and Second World Wars we don't have a lot of those veterans with us anymore.

We are losing them to age and other things.”

She noted that Strathmore per capita had more women and men sign up for the First and Second World War per capita than almost any city in Canada.

“If you think about how small the population was and how many people put their names forward for duty, it's pretty impressive, and I think our region does a beautiful job of highlighting.”

Aheer stays very involved in Remembrance Day ceremonies.

“I always have, but since being an elected official I try to attend as many of the service days and the Remembrance Days throughout the year that we do to honor our veterans,” she said.

Listening and working closely with veterans in the Chestermere-Strathmore region, Aheer has sat down and had conversations with many veterans, as a member of the Legion.

“I go quite often,” she said. “We sit and we chat with the veterans all the time, because, again, that wisdom and that love and that understanding, and the gifts that they give to us with freedom can be very lost if you're not having those conversations.” She reflects on her own family at this time, as members of her family in India are veterans and were also in the British Army.

“The conversations are difficult if a person is willing to actually share what has gone on, and the difficulties around being at war,” she said.

Meeting Elder Clarence Wolf Leg, she had this to say, “I also met another person who I think is a beautiful human. Elder Clarence Wolfleg. He was at the field of crosses (in Calgary) yesterday.

He is a proud and fierce warrior” She noted he has performed many service activities across the province including blessings.

“He was in the first regiment of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and a UN peacekeeper. And I believe he was in Cyprus and NATO and he speaks with such grace about how we move forward and how we learn from our mistakes. How we have a better today as a result of what we've learned in our past,” said Aheer.

In closing the MLA highlighted some historic female figures from Canada who may not get as much attention, but the respect is well deserved.

“One is Elsie MacGill. She was the first woman in the world to graduate as an aeronautical engineer, a phenomenal human. Karen Hermiston who was the very first and I think only female photographer during the Second World War, and then Bertha Clark Jones in 1940 she was in the Canadian Air Force.

“Roberta MacAdams, she was actually a legislator in 1917 after the Famous Five came forward to actually make women be legitimately human beings in the Constitution and that we were persons.

She was in the medical corps in 1916, and then when she came back, she was a soldier's representative in the legislature in 1917,” said Aheer.

“I think that there's a lot that we can do to really educate and show in the province the immense contribution of women to the regiments and during wartime.”

This year there will be an outdoor service for Remembrance Day in Strathmore. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Strathmore Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 10.