This evening, Thursday, Sept. 8, I am feeling very nostalgic. Today, we lost our Queen, the only monarch many, if not all, of us ever knew.

Growing up in Cobourg, I recall several occasions when I had an encounter with Queen Elizabeth.

As a three-year-old in 1959 we went to the top of Abbott Boulevard when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip rode by in their landau.

As an air cadet I had the honour of lining a walkway in full uniform in the summer as the Queen and Prince Phillip strode by to dedicate Rotary Park.

My best memory is dating back to 1969 when, as a 12-year-old, I sent Queen Elizabeth a Christmas card for 1968.

Then, in January of 1969, I received a letter from her Lady-in-Waiting, Rose Baring, thanking me for my best wishes for Christmas and New Year’s. My dad immediately contacted the local newspaper.

We are entering a new era of our nation’s figurehead. As we reflect on our Queen’s wonderful reign, let the future be positive and full of hope. God save the King!