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A Cobourg man is paying tribute to Canada’s fallen soldiers from his property along Highway 401.
Ron Flindall has installed a five-metre flagpole along his property line, which abuts the westbound lanes of Highway 401 at Cobourg.
Before the repatriated soldiers pass along the Highway of Heroes, on the journey from Canadian Forces Base Trenton to Toronto for autopsy, Mr. Flindall heads out on his ATV and installs the flags along the fenceline.
He started this practice when the highway overpasses became too full of people coming out to pay their respects and show support to the fallen soldiers’ families as the corteges passed.
“When the bridges started to fill, I thought I might just as well come out back, put up my own flag pole, and that would leave two spaces on the bridge for somebody else,” he said.
Yesterday the bodies of Warrant Officer Hani Massouh, 41, and Corporal Eric Labbé, 31, were repatriated. The soldiers, who had served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Quebec, were killed on January 6, when their light armoured vehicle rolled over during a tactical move across difficult terrain.
To honour the men, Mr. Flindall placed two small Canadian flags on separate fence posts, and one large flag on another.
“If there is one soldier coming through I’ll put up one, and if there are two, I’ll put up two flags,” he said.
“The two flags are for our soldiers and (the larger one) is home.”
Mr. Flindall said he grew up during the Second World War and remembers the stories of war.
“I went to school with kids whose father either didn’t come home or came home wounded,” he said.
“You never forget. So I just saw this as my opportunity to show my respect for what these guys are doing.”