Ontario Pays Tribute to Veterans and Soldiers

Premier Kathleen Wynne is encouraging people of all ages to attend one of the more than 175 Remembrance Day ceremonies being held in communities across Ontario today to honour the men and women who have served our country in times of conflict and peace.

Ontario’s official Ceremony of Remembrance will be held this morning at Queen’s Park, marking the end of Remembrance Week. The Premier will be joined by the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Brigadier-General S.M. Cadden; Honorary Lieutenant General Richard Rohmer; Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day; President of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Margaret Froh; and Elder Garry Sault of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation to honour the courage and sacrifices that have helped shape our country.

Veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families, cadets and others will pay tribute and lay wreaths.

The Queen’s Park ceremony begins at 10:45 a.m., and will include a 21-gun salute, a moment of silence, a reading of In Flanders Fields, performances by a cappella quartet Yonge Guns and a youth pledge. It will conclude with an invitation to those attending to pin their poppies to the People’s Wreath.

Those unable to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony are encouraged to watch the Queen’s Park livestream starting at 10:45 a.m. or pause and observe a personal moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. wherever you may be.

  • In November 2016, Ontario proclaimed the week leading up to Remembrance Day as Remembrance Week.
  • To commemorate the occasion of the centenary of World War I and the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, which were turning points in Canadian history, Ontario is supporting the international The World Remembers project this fall with a display at Toronto’s Old City Hall.
  • The display features the names of the 21,000 Canadians who lost their lives in 1917 during the First World War. In respect for the history of all peoples, the display also includes names of service personnel from other nations that fought in that war.
  • The Ontario Veterans’ Memorial, unveiled in 2006, is a 30-metre-long memorial engraved in granite with scenes from Canada’s military history.

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“Today, we all stand in gratitude for the bravery and courage of those men and women who put their own lives in danger to defend and promote our dearly held values of freedom, democracy and human rights. May November 11 always be a reminder that we as a people must do all we can to resolve conflict with diplomacy and peacemaking, not bloodshed and anguish. And may we never, ever forget the sacrifices of those who have served.” — Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario

“Across generations, Canadians of all backgrounds have made the greatest sacrifice to make the world a safer place. Their selfless courage and commitment have protected countless lives and preserved our values and freedom. On Remembrance Day, we say thank you.” — Laura Albanese, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration