Merrittonian Kalea Palmer was selected out of a group of about 100 youth to lay a wreath at the Canadian War Memorial during the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa this past November.
Palmer attended the ceremony as part of an Encounters With Canada program. During her week in Ottawa, Palmer toured the Canadian War Museum and Parliament. She met veterans as well as Princess Anne — the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.
Palmer also made Izzy dolls during her trip, which are knitted dolls named for a Canadian soldier who lost his life in Croatia during a peacekeeping tour. The dolls are donated to children in developing countries.
Palmer’s mother, Danica Vere — a former military police officer — said she was able to watch her daughter lay the wreath on TV.
Palmer was selected after representatives from Encounters With Canada found out her parents were military police officers. Palmer said the teacher monitors handed out dogtags of soldiers who died in Afghanistan, and she was looking for the ones of people she knew.
