Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.
Despite a few sprinkles of rain, the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial saw thousands line up along Elgin and Wellington streets to pay their respects in the nation’s capital.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon joined active military and veterans as well as this year’s Silver Cross Mother Maureen Anderson from New Brunswick, whose two sons, Sgt. Ron Anderson and Sgt. Ryan Anderson, served in Afghanistan.
Anderson, whose sons both died after a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, laid a wreath at the foot of the National War Memorial, representing the mothers left behind by all service members killed in the line of duty.
“Throughout our history, the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have kept our country safe. Some returned home from the battlefield and were never the same. Others never returned at all,” Trudeau said in a social media post before the start of the ceremony.
“It is a debt we can never repay, and one we will never forget.”
The sound of the Last Post was heard in Ottawa and at cenotaphs across the country at 11 a.m., followed by a two-minute moment of silence to commemorate when the armistice went into effect on Nov. 11, 1918, ending the First World War.
A 93-year-old Korean War veteran was among those who stood for more than an hour watching the procession and was participating in Ottawa’s Remembrance Day ceremonies for the first time.
A special fly-past with Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 Hornet fighter jets and three vintage military aircrafts marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Armed Forces.
At Beechwood Cemetery, the National Military Cemetery, military members and their families and friends marked Remembrance Day showing support who died giving their lives to service.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe attended a ceremony held at the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Orléans.
The Veterans Affairs Department estimates the current Canadian war veteran population at 7,300 people — 6,142 men and 1,158 women — based on 2021 census data.
“In need” of Canadians to enlist
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, who was participating in the ceremony for the first time in her role, spoke to the importance of Remembrance Day and said there is a need for more Canadians to enlist with the Armed Forces.
“This is definitely very special to me, in terms of reminding ourselves of the service of many Canadians in defence of Canada,” Carginan told CTV’s Chief Anchor Omar Sachedina.
The Canadian Armed Forces says it is currently short about 16,500 personnel. Carignan says it “will take a bit of time” to recruit more members but has a timeline of five years to get staffing back to adequate levels.
“It is clear that we are definitely in need of Canadians coming to serve Canada. We have embarked on a transformational agenda, and we are on our way to recruiting more volunteers to serve Canada,” Carignan said.
“As we increase the number of new capabilities, it will be important to recruit to our full compliment of people.”
This story will be updated
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV National News