You may have noticed a big bruiser coasting over the city. It was a C-17 Globemaster from 429 Squadron in Trenton Ontario. The squadron is here to do a flypast during the Cenotaph Remembrance day services.Source: Dori Modney -- Country 95 News
Personnel from the 429 Bison Squadron will also be in attendance at the ceremony. Bert Lapointe, Director of 702-Lethbridge Wing Air Force Association, points out the squadron has an affiliate to Lethbridge. He says, "In 1944, Lethbridge City Council adopted the Air Force squadron over seas in England and the purpose of that was to show support for the troops and to send them some goods". Lapointe notes, "It's rather comical now to know that the goods sent to raise troop morale by Mayor A. W. Shackelford were about 7000-cartons of cigarettes."
In September of 2008, Lapointe made a presentation to City Council about the potential to reunite Lethbridge with its adopted squadron. It was approved and Lapointe made application to have the squadron do a Remembrance Day flyover that year.
The squadron is doing a training mission in B-C right now, putting them in close proximity to our city again. They will do a flypast in a C-17 Globemaster, the biggest transport aircraft Canada has, which flies the troops to Afghanistan, as well as humanitarian aid to various locations around the world.
429-Squadron arrived Wednesday afternoon with about 10 to 15-support personnel who will take part in the ceremony for only the second time since 1944. They will do a flypast above the Cenotaph in front of the Yates Centre at 12:10. However, Remembrance Day Services in Lethbridge get underway at 9:30 at the Exhibition Pavilion. before the Cenotaph Service.
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