Photo: Larry Lava Linda Denise Jackson has reportedly canceled the 2021 Memorial Day ceremony. Organizers of this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the Kelowna City Park cenotaph, scheduled for Friday morning, say they aren’t worried about a repeat of last year’s, the fallout of which is still going through the courts. There was no official ceremony in 2021 at the cenotaph due to the pandemic, but community members still gathered for an impromptu event. The COVID-19 protesters then gathered and, using their own sound system, began spouting anti-vaccine and anti-mandate rhetoric. Police responded and investigated, and the Crown ultimately charged Linda Denise Jackson with a rarely used offense under the Criminal Code of Canada: Section 176 (3), disturbing the order or formality of a meeting. Jackson’s case is still before the courts. She first appeared before a judge on May 19, with her last appearance on October 31. The next court date is set for November 14. The disruption of the Remembrance Day ceremony was widely condemned by community leaders and police. Keith Boehmer, military historian at Kelowna Museums, says he doesn’t expect any problems this year during the ceremony. “The volume and temperature of emotion around these issues has gone down, so I think people will behave themselves, and I think the general public can expect a modern conventional Memorial Day experience.” In honor of Remembrance Day, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 26 will lead a parade through downtown Kelowna and the remembrance ceremony at City Park begins at 11am. on November 11.
