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Bob Collins (right) smiles after Dwight Grieve, Malahat Legion Sgt-At-Arms and Military, Veteran and Senior Chairman for BC/YUKON Command pins the Branch Service Medal on his lapel.

Bob Collins Awarded Merit Certificate

Bob Collins Awarded Merit Certificate

On April 24th, 2022, Bob Collins awarded merit certificate for the work he’s done  organizing the October 22nd remembrance ceremony for Canadian military who died on Canadian soil in a non-combat role. . Each year Bob and like-minded military friends hold an overnight vigil at the Cobble Hill Cenotaph starting at 6:56 am PDT on October 22nd ending at an 11 am ceremony the following day.

The vigil started in 2014, the year Corporal Nathan Cirillo was shot in the back and killed as he stood ceremonial guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. In 2016, he asked the local Malahat Legion Branch 134 to help support the 11 am ceremony. The legion provided their Chaplin, sound equipment and executive participation in the ceremony. The legion’s contact with Veterans Affairs also provided names to be read out at the ceremony.

Bob vigorously campaigned to publicize the ceremony. In 2016 Alistair MacGregor, Member of Parliament for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford was invited to attend and has every year since then. In 2020 Bob asked a member of the Duncan Flying club to do an 11 am fly over in remembrance of Captain Jennifer Casey who died in Kamloops in May in a plane crash while flying with the Canadian Forces Snowbird Squadron. Skye Ryan, CHEK TV video Journalist, filmed the event for the evening news. For the 2021 ceremony, Bob had the names of over2,600 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives while on duty in Canada in non-combative roles since 1911 put on a long custom-designed whiteboard on display for the ceremony. Rumor has it Bob paid for the white board himself.


Bob Collins has made a commendable effort to recognize these soldiers and see their names are not forgotten. Our member of parliament, Alister MacGregor, feels the same and introduced a private members bill in 2021 to make October 22nd a special day. This Certificate of Merit is well deserved.

Bob Collins Awarded Merit Certificate
Bob Collins (right) smiles after Dwight Grieve, Malahat Legion Sgt-At-Arms and Military, Veteran and Senior Chairman for BC/YUKON Command pins the Branch Service Medal on his lapel.
Bob Collins Awarded Merit Certificate
This certificate of merit to Bob Collins from BC/YUKON command is signed by BC/YUKON president Valerie MacGregor.

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