This Sunday marks Remembrance Day throughout Canada and it is a special one. It has been 100 years since the armistice was signed and the First World War officially ended. President of the Portage la Prairie Legion Bob Oldford says they are running a program called the Bells of Peace.

Portage Legion President Bob Oldford. (Photo by Mike Blume)Oldford says the rationale behind the event, hearkens back to the days when the armistice was first signed so many years ago.

"The idea of Bells of Peace," says Oldford. "In 1918 when the armistice was signed all through Europe and even Canada, church bells, city bells all rang out to commemorate the idea of peace. What the Legion and Veteran's Affairs are trying to do Canada-wide, is at sunset on November 11th, communities across the country will be ringing their bells in order to ring in peace."

Portage will be participating in the event and Oldford describes what they have lined up for the milestone.

"What we've arranged, is that City Hall will ring their bell," says Oldford. "We've asked churches throughout our catchment area for our Legion to ring their bells. At Fort la Reine Museum, we will be ringing the three bells we have down there one hundred times. Each of those locations have picked a significant number of rings to commemorate. Our City Hall will be ringing theirs twenty times, once for every five years."

Oldford notes that 162 Portage-area residents died serving their country during the First World War. That is significant considering that the population of the area was a fraction of what it is now.