A threat of violence was directed at Lake Country's Remembrance Day ceremonies

Photo: Contributed

UPDATE 3:20 p.m.

RCMP operations officer, Insp. Adam MacIntosh confirmed there was "unsubstantiated information" concerning a potential threat on those taking part in the Remembrance Day ceremony in Lake Country.

During a news briefing about investigations into a disruption of services at the cenotaph in Kelowna Thursday, MacIntosh said as a result of the information received, precautions were taken in consultation with the Legion.

He says there was a safety plan in place, but added the ceremony went ahead peacefully at another location.

ORIGINAL 11:40 a.m.

A threat of violence directed at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Lake Country forced organizers to change the venue at the last minute.

Kees Boersma, vice-president of the Oyama branch of the Royal Canadian Legion said he received a call from the RCMP on Wednesday.

"I got a call from the RCMP that if we had been flying the United Nations flag that somebody would get killed. We decided to move it to the branch," Boersma told Castanet News.

"When we had our service on Nov. 11, three RCMP members came out, two with assault rifles to protect us and one to place a poppy."

Boersma says a note was placed on the cenotaph saying the ceremony had been cancelled, "due to a threat of violence."

They didn't say where it had been moved to.

"We had the service, and nothing happened. It went off without a hitch, and we were very thankful to the RCMP with regards to protecting us."

A video posted to YouTube indicates a group of individuals soldiered on with a ceremony around the lake Country cenotaph.

Boersma says he has no idea why the UN flag would be upsetting to people.

Castanet has reached out to the RCMP for comment.

The RCMP in Kelowna are investigating the disruption of Thursday's ceremony at the cenotaph in City Park.