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A quiet stretch of country road in Norfolk County carries a remarkable piece of Canadian military history, and this Sunday, November 8, residents will gather to remember the young men who left their farms to serve their country.
The Rockford Road of Heroes Remembrance Ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at 1462 Concession 11 Townsend, on the property of Neil and Gale Lemery.
Norfolk Remembers member David Stelpstra says the memorial recognizes 28 soldiers from the small farming community who enlisted during the First and Second World Wars.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Rockford Road of Heroes, a 3.2-kilometre stretch of Townsend honouring local soldiers who served during the World Wars.
The memorial sits on the former Heron family farm, where two brothers left to serve in the Air Force during the Second World War and never returned.
The site features a Canadian flag, a mural honouring the soldiers and new directional signage installed this year.
Stelpstra says even the roadside address markers carry a powerful reminder of the community’s sacrifices.
The memorial also recognizes the diverse backgrounds of those who served, including Indigenous First Nations soldiers who answered the call.
The Rockford gathering is one of several Remembrance events happening across Norfolk County on Sunday.
At 1:30 p.m., a Remembrance Day service will take place in Teeterville, where the community will honour its fallen, including the Wagner brothers, three members of the same family who died during the Second World War.
Then, at 2 p.m., the Port Rowan and South Walsingham Heritage Association will hold a ceremony in Port Rowan to unveil additional commemorative banners honouring local veterans.
Stelpstra says it’s encouraging to see communities throughout Norfolk finding ways to keep these stories alive.
For residents unable to attend a ceremony on Remembrance Day itself, Sunday’s gatherings offer another opportunity to pay their respects.
And along Rockford Road, where poppies mark the farms of those who answered the call to serve, the sacrifices of a small rural community continue to be remembered generations later.
Written by Jeremy Hall
