'Thank you for your service': Veterans honoured with banners in downtown Newmarket

Main Street in downtown Newmarket is lined with banners honouring both its war veterans and those currently serving their country in the military. 

Organized by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 426 in Newmarket and spearheaded by past legion president Crystal Cook, the program launched in 2017. 

Anyone can sponsor a banner and have the name, photograph and service of a veteran or military member displayed on lamp posts lining the steet.

“We do not put ranks on ours. Every (town) does it a bit different, but we chose to not put ranks, so no sergeant, no whatever, because our philosophy is a veteran is a veteran and it shouldn’t matter what their rank was. They’re a veteran and they’re being recognized,” Cook said. 

Once a banner has been purchased, it is hung for two years in a row and after that the family who sponsored it receives the banner as a keepsake. 

“After a couple years they tend to get a little weathered, which is why we only do it for two years because in our opinion, it’s actually a disservice to put up a weathered banner. You’re actually doing the opposite of what you’re trying to do,” Cook explained. 

In her own family, she has four loved ones represented in the banners. 

“There’s my grandmother and my grandfathe, who both served in (the Second) World War. My grandad was in the Navy and my grandma was what they call a Wren,” Cook said. “And my brother is currently serving. He’s done three tours of Afghanistan, he’s done one tour in Bosnia. He’s currently stationed down east at Gagetown.” 

The fourth banner is of her father-in-law, who served in both the Navy and Army. 

The banners for her step-brother, Shaun Seaton, and her grandfather, George Stephens, are hanging on the west side of Main Street, while the banner for her grandmother, Catherine Stephens, is hanging on the bridge on Water Street, with the banner for her father-in-law, James Cook, hanging beside it before the bridge. 

“For me, it was a huge honour. My grandparents were, in my opinion, they were the best. So to have the ability to put them up there and to have people recognize the service that they paid, what they did for our country was for me a great honour,” she said. 

She said it’s also important for her to pay tribute to her step-brother, who is actively serving, and for everybody to think of today’s military members on Remembrance Day as well. 

“We continue to enjoy the rights and freedoms because there are people still putting their lives on the line and I think sometimes we get caught in ‘that was a long time ago.’ Well, those wars were a long time ago, but there’s still conflicts happening in the world and if it wasn’t for our currently serving, we could be looking at a very different situation,” Cook said.

“So I think it’s important that people recognize that there’s still people, although they’re not maybe as noticeable in our world, that there’s still people out protecting us, protecting our interests, protecting people in other countries and ensuring that they have some of the rights and freedoms that we enjoy.” 

She said her step-brother has been able to see his banner and the impact it has on the community. 

“He was quite honoured and once the banner went up it was very nice and heartfelt to see the number of people from our town who either didn’t realize that he was in the military or knew and just basically all saying thank you, thank you for your service, thank you for everything you are doing. I think it was great from a family perspective, but also for him to realize that people do really appreciate what they’re doing,” she said. 

Every year Cook takes a walk down Main Street to see the banners and think of her loved ones, as well as all the other veterans she knows through the legion. 

“It’s also a nice walk down memory lane because a lot of the people up there were legion members and ones that I knew because I’ve been around here a long time, so it’s nice to reminisce about them as well,” she said. 

While many local veterans are recognized with banners, Cook said there are a lot more that she would like to see up there. 

“We have a lot of veterans who either don’t have family currently living or don’t have the means financially to purchase a banner, so we’re always looking for businesses that would be willing to sponsor a banner. We have lots of veterans that we would love to put up there, but the cost is just prohibitive,” she explained. 

Businesses and individuals can sponsor a banner, even if they don’t know a veteran personally, and can work with the legion to make sure someone is able to have their service recognized on Remembrance Day. Anyone who wants to participate in the program next year can email Cook at [email protected] or contact the legion branch at [email protected]. 

You are encouraged to reach out early as they need five or six weeks to order the banners and have them made before they are hung in October.