A Word from the Mayor
Many of you may be aware that I represented our district last month when visiting France and Belgium as part of the commemoration of the 107th anniversary of the end of the great war.
I was invited to join with Mayor Dan Gordon, members of the Passchendaele Trust and representatives of the Oxford, Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Amberley RSA.
James Drewery from Amberley RSA joined with me to represent the district, laying a wreath at the Menin Gates as part of the special ceremony and with Mayor Dan at the ceremony on the 11 November when we joined with other state dignitaries from across the globe. This was a very poignant and sombre event with also a symbol of unity.
Over our 2 weeks stay we visited many sites of significance on the Remembrance Trail, remembering that of all the nations involved in WW1, New Zealand made the most significant sacrifice in terms of population, over 40,000 soldiers were wounded and more that 18,000 killed. But the First World War spurred a greater awareness among New Zealanders of what it meant to be a “New Zealander” and brought greater recognition of New Zealand as a united entity.
Our visit to the Memorial Museum Passchendaele recalled the story of 600,000 men who became casualties for the gain of territory of just 8 kilometres – for this reason Passchendaele has become a symbol of mindless futility of the total war.
I struggled with the reality when visiting Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest of the Commonwealth War Graves it is the final resting place for nearly 12,000 soldiers with only 3800 of whom are known by name.
On 10 November 1917 marks the day that the Canadian troops ended the Battle of Passchendaele by capturing the ruins of the village. Each year a ceremony at Crest Farm is held followed by a torchlight procession to the Passchendaele church, this was a special privilege as Mayor Dan, and I were invited to read a story of a New Zealander from Ashburton who lost his life in this campaign.
I was fortunate to be invited to join the group and represent our district, but also feel very grateful that on returning home at our recent council meeting we welcomed 28 new citizens to our district, from all corners of the world. I warmly welcome you and trust you foster and develop strong friendship and at the same time retain happy memories of the great things you enjoyed from your country of origin.
Christmas gives us a time to reflect, there has been so many wonderful occasions and events over the year that showcase our district, I am grateful to all the amazing volunteers who help out on so many occasions, to those who work in health and education, Hone Hato St John, FENZ, NZ Police, our wonderful staff at our Health centres and their allied support staff thankyou for your commitment to keeping our lives enriched, healthy and safe.
This is a time when our thoughts turn gratefully to all the people, who make our success possible, I thank you for all that you do and wish you all the best for the holiday season and beyond.
As we close in on the year of 2024, I wish nothing more than the opportunity to live in an environment that is peaceful and harmonious – let’s play our part in achieving this in 2025 in our thriving dynamic and resilient district.
Meri Kirihimete – Merry Christmas
