Canada is observing Remembrance Day on Tuesday with events being held across the country, honouring the country’s veterans and marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Canada will “honour the service of the brave women and men who answered the call,” Prime Minister Carney said in a statement Tuesday.
“In an increasingly dangerous and divided world, remembrance is also vigilance. Our sovereignty and our security – and those of our allies – are not guaranteed. The women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces protect them every day,” Carney said.
The National Remembrance Day ceremony is being held at the National War Memorial in snowy downtown Ottawa, where temperatures have dropped below freezing.
The ceremony began with a veterans’ march, followed by the arrival of various dignitaries.
Global News is streaming special live coverage of the national ceremony here.
The marching contingent formed up at 10:10 a.m. eastern, with the march lasting until 10:30 a.m. Carney arrived at the ceremony at 10:45 a.m. eastern.
Governor General Mary Simon did not attend Tuesday’s ceremony due to a respiratory virus, her office said in a statement.
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“The Governor General is doing well and is recovering in hospital. We appreciate your understanding and respect for her privacy at this time,” the statement said.
Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner attended the ceremony in her stead.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lauded the “legacy of professionalism, duty and courage” of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“For generations, we have marked this day with prayer, gratitude and, most of all, remembrance. Because as proud as our history is, we know the high price at which these victories came,” he said.
After the singing of Canada’s national anthem, the gathering observed two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.
The ceremony also included prayers, a 21-gun salute and placing of the wreaths. The fly-past by the Royal Canadian Air Force did not take place due to unfavourable weather conditions.
It also included the singing of the British national anthem, God Save the King, since Canada fought in both World Wars as part of the British Empire.
The ceremony concluded at 11:30 a.m. with the veterans’ march past.
The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War comes as the number of surviving veterans continues to dwindle.
Veterans Affairs Canada said it estimates that as of this year, there are 3,691 surviving Canadian veterans — 667 women and 3,024 men, according to The Canadian Press.
Veterans Affairs also believes the number of living veterans from the Korean War is 1,909. Previously, it did not separate the numbers from the two wars under the government’s War Service Veteran population statistics, saying in 2024 that it believed there were some 7,300.
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