The Municipality of Meaford granted the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre Freedom of the City during a ceremony held on Friday, July 18.
Dating back to ancient times, the Freedom of the City is a symbolic gesture of trust and honour between a municipality and a military unit. It grants the military the right to march through the community ‘with drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed’.
The municipality first granted this honour to the Base Commander of 4CDTC in 1995.
The event began with a parade which travelled along Bridge Street to Bayfield Street, before turning onto Nelson Street toward Meaford Hall, where the ceremony was held.
Meaford’s new Fire Chief Rob Pilon offered a ceremonial challenge to Lt. Col. Joe Tobin, the commanding officer at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre. Chief Pilon escorted Lt. Col. Tobin to the doors of Meaford Hall where Mayor Ross Kentner greeted them.
“We acknowledge the achievements of the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre and invite you once again to march through our streets with bayonets fixed, drums beating, and flags flying,” Mayor Kentner read from a scroll.
After the ceremony, Mayor Kentner posted on social media that, “Today’s ceremony was commemorated in a proclamation signed by both Lt. Col. Joe Tobin and myself. The text recognized that the Base was accorded Freedom of the City in perpetuity in 1995.”
“We do most graciously bid thee to take up and exercise the Freedom of the City which hath been respectfully and eternally conferred upon thee, July 22, 1995, acknowledging with deep gratification the achievements of the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre, and we invite you once again to march through our streets with bayonets fixed, drums beating, and flags flying,” said Mayor Kentner.
Mayor Kentner also highlighted an exchange of gifts that took place during the ceremony.
“There was an exchange of gifts with Lt. Col. Tobin receiving the Key to the City and a World War I compass. On behalf of the Municipality of Meaford I accepted the sword which the Base Commander had used to rap on the door to Meaford Hall. These treasured gifts will soon find places of honour at the Base and here in the Municipality,” Kentner noted.
The ceremony was attended by hundreds of residents, more than 200 military personnel, along with Alex Ruff, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP, and Paul Vickers, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP.
The following day, Saturday, July 19, the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre held an open house that featured military equipment displays and demonstrations.
