A military parade and ceremony will convey Freedom of the City to the newly-created 39 Service Battalion of the Canadian Armed Forces at Richmond City Hall on Saturday, April 12.
Freedom of the City is a traditional honour granted to military units based in a community.
The tradition dates back to the 17th century in Edinburgh, Scotland.
B.C.’s Community Charter provides for municipal councils, through a unanimous vote, to bestow Freedom of the City on a distinguished individual or distinguished unit of the armed forces of Canada or another country.
Freedom of the City provides ceremonial permission for military units to parade through the city.
“We value our partnership with the Canadian military,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie, “which has assisted our community in many capacities over the years, and we look forward to a long and rewarding friendship with the new 39 Service Battalion.”
The Freedom of the City ceremony on April 12 will begin at 1 p.m. and include a ceremonial parade down Granville Avenue from Minoru Park to city hall.
The parade will feature the 39 Service Battalion, 15 Field Artillery Band and honour guards from Richmond RCMP and Richmond Fire Rescue. A special ceremony will follow the parade on the plaza at city hall.
