A Remembrance Day Walk

For Gail and me, Remembrance Day in Winnipeg always includes a walk down Valour Road for a service at a small park on Sargent Avenue.

This year, I am in North Vancouver, on my way to their Remembrance Day service. It’s a one-hour walk to Victoria Park, an eastward trek that leapfrogs suburban neighbourhoods and the Trans-Canada Highway and follows the banks of south-flowing streams.

November in Vancouver is a little like going back in time. In Winnipeg, the trees are bare and we are on high alert, awaiting our first snow storm. Here, it is late fall. There are still the remnants of rusty leaves in the trees. Those that have fallen pave my path with deep browns and yellows, punctuated with the occasional burst of red. A light mist glazes the perishing foliage. Colours are rich. Still saturated with life.