Acadie-Annapolis MP Chris d’Entremont was booed while laying a wreath at the Remembrance Day service in Annapolis Royal on Nov. 11.
A week earlier, the MP crossed the floor in the House of Commons, leaving the Conservatives to join the Liberal caucus.
D’Entremont said people booed him before the service when he went to the bathroom at the Royal Canadian Legion Port Royal Branch 21. He couldn’t imagine they would do it during the service.
“But they did,” he said. “I just sort of under my breath said, ‘Not the place for it.’ This is a solemn event.”
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Branch 21 president Angela Amero issued a statement Nov. 12 saying at least three people booed d’Entremont while he was laying the wreath, conduct that will not be tolerated in the legion. She called the heckling disrespectful.
“To those that booed Christopher d’Entremont at the service, we say shame on you,” Amero said. “You have ruined the day that we remember our fathers, sons, daughters, and grandparents that paid the ultimate sacrifice for the very thing that you seemed entitled to … the right to give your opinion.”
She said there is a time and place for political discord.
“A Remembrance Day service is not one of these times or places,” Amero said. “You not only disrespected the veterans in the building, the serving military members and the general public, but you disrespected the sacred service of remembrance that we were trying to accomplish.”
Editor’s note: d’Entremont was called to lay the wreath at the 39-minute mark
D’Entremont was upset the incident occurred.
“It makes me feel bad that I was there and sort of drew that in (to the service) in front of the legion members.”
D’Entremont has said he decided to leave the Conservative caucus because he had enough of the negativity.
“I know this is not a popular move,” he said. “I did it for the right reasons.”
D’Entremont said there are ways for people to contact him and have a discussion about the move, but to boo at a solemn ceremony was not right. He said no one who booed him approached him after the ceremony to discuss his decision.
D’Entremont said there’s been an outpouring of disgust in response to the boos and people doubling down in their support for him.
And he has no second thoughts about his decision a week later, noting most of the mean comments are coming from the side of the party he didn’t agree with.
“It just makes my resolve even stronger.”