On Monday, September 19, Royal Canadian Legion branches across the country will be holding memorial services for Queen Elizabeth II.

Locally, both the High River Legion Branch 71 and the Okotoks Legion Branch will conduct their ceremonies at their towns’ respective Cenotaphs.

The High River Legion’s past President Bob Collins says members will meet on 5th Ave. at around 10:30 a.m. before proceeding to the Cenotaph.

“We’ll have an Honour Guard and we’ll be marching to our memorial centre. We’ll arrive at the Cenotaph at around 10:45 for the ceremony recognizing the queen and we’ll be laying the wreath on behalf of the legion and, of course, High River.”

In Okotoks, members will assemble at the cenotaph at around 10:30 a.m. for the service.

Founder and vice president of the Okotoks branch, Malcolm Hughes, says these ceremonies will also include a historic first.

“We will be laying wreaths on behalf of various constituents of the legion and of the population, then it will end, of course, with our very first time singing God Save the King.”

He expects the ceremony will be rather similar to their traditional Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Both the High River and Okotoks ceremonies will see attendance from local politicians and dignitaries, and members of the public are welcome.

In both cases, a two-minute silence is planned for 11 o’clock as part of a greater “rolling silence,” with legion branches across Canada starting in the east coast and rolling west at 11 in each time zone.

Her Majesty’s funeral is to be held on the same day.