Perhaps the largest number of people ever participated in the Community Walk of the Cross on Good Friday.

There were over 400 people at the inter-denominational gathering, stopping at 12 stations to reflect upon the final steps of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion. Readings were from the Gospel of Luke, and each was accompanied by prayer. Three musicians lead the procession through the Historic Downtown to the Community Cenotaph, located next to the Royal Canadian Legion.

A purple Cloth of the Cross was draped on the cross, and that will be changed to white on Monday Easter, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ.

Cochrane ministerial president Pastor Bart Eriksson, of the St. Peters' Luthern Church, says it's the highest attendance he has seen in the eight years he's been involved, and that they quickly ran out of the 200 programs prepared.

The congregations of 11 churches participated in this year's walk, and that number varies slightly from year-to-year.

The walk returned last year after the peak of the pandemic and attracted a couple of hundred people on a much colder day with a light dusting of snow..  In contrast, it was around 8 degrees Celsius for yesterday's hour-long walk.