I wish I could say that I'm shocked and surprised. I don't know what the turnout here in Halifax was like as I missed the ceremony myself (base duties acknowledge no others) but if we're honest about it, the Battle of the Atlantic ceremony has always been a quiet and little publised event. Compared to Rememerance Day very few people have heard of it and I'm basing this on attitudes in the home of half of the Canadian fleet. It's no real surprise that government representatives, always on the lookout for the pr value of an event, don't show up at an event that gets limited press coverage. I wish that it was different but it's not. We sailors seem to like keeping it all low key and government will always ignore what doesn't help it. In a way thats a lot of what I've come to like about the ceremoney. It's just us sailors, honouring our own, without any outsiders using the occasion to improve their own image and further there own ends which sadly is all to common on Rememberance day.