The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel

Lest we forget

The slow, beautiful changing colours of the leaves on the trees around the city are a sure sign that autumn is upon us.

April this year brings us two long weekends – Easter and Anzac – to enjoy the delights of autumn in Ōtautahi Christchurch. I hope you can all enjoy some restful time over these weekends, as well as supporting our local businesses who have been doing it tough.

Anzac Day normally brings thousands of people out early for a special dawn service in the centre of Christchurch. This year the RSA has made the call there will be no mass gathering because they want to protect the health of their veterans and the public.

There are other ways to commemorate the day – laying a poppy at your local war memorial – there are several around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. Or standing in silence at the end of your driveway at dawn, as many of us did in 2020 when the whole country was in lockdown.

A virus can’t stand in the way of each of us holding fast to the tradition of remembering our veterans, and calling upon leaders across the world to commit to the peaceful resolution of conflict. The cost is too high, and the pain is too great. We must never forget.