11/11/26 11:47
Wainwright ceremony under way
– Alanna Smith
Open this photo in gallery:
Two wreaths placed at the base of the Wainwright Memorial Clock Tower on Wednesday.Megan Albu/The Globe and Mail
As the sun rose into the sky, with birds flying overhead, two wreaths were carefully placed at the base of the Wainwright Memorial Clock Tower on Wednesday morning.
Dozens of locals, many with red poppies pinned to their collars, watched as members of the local legion and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took a moment of silence in front of the commemorative arrangements.
A short distance away, hundreds were filling into the Peace Memorial Multiplex for the community’s Remembrance Day ceremony.
11/11/26 11:40
Ottawa ceremony comes to an end
– The Canadian Press
Open this photo in gallery:
Prime Minister Mark Carney lays a wreath during the Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.Keito Newman/The Canadian Press
Guns boomed, bagpipes wailed and CF-18 Hornets thundered overhead as Canadians paused at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday to remember those who served and died defending this country.
Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour said this year’s service carries extra weight because it comes just weeks after the deadly fire at Canadian Forces Wainwright.
“Our thoughts remain with the soldiers we lost, those who were wounded, as well as the families, friends, comrades and all others affected by this tragic event,” Arbour said.
“Such moments remind us that behind every uniform is a human being: someone who serves with dedication, accepts risk on behalf of others and is supported by loved ones who share in the sacrifices that service often demands.”
Ray McGill of Courtice, Ont. came to Ottawa so he could proudly watch his son march in his first Remembrance Day parade as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces after joining last year.
“My father was in World War II, my mother was in World War II, I served for about 28 years in the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, and he thought it was just time for him to pay a little price for Canadians to be free,” he said.
11/11/26 11:30
Silver Cross mother lays wreath in Ottawa
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
National Silver Cross Mother Virginia Hicks lays a wreath during the Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.Keito Newman/The Canadian Press
Virginia Hicks, this year’s Silver Cross mother, arrives at the national Remembrance Day ceremony to lay a wreath on behalf of all mothers who have lost children in military service.
Her daughter, Sapper Mareibeth Short, was killed in a training exercise on Sept. 23, 2002 in Petawawa, Ont.
Hicks is a veteran herself, working in supply and logistics for 29 years.
11/11/26 11:17
Danielle Smith releases video statement ahead of ceremonies
– Sarah Wallace
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith released a video message ahead of the province’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, saying it was a “civic duty” to remember the veterans who have served in Canada.
“Wearing a uniform from the Canadian Armed Forces is a declaration that you will lay down your life for the values of this nation,” she said in the video.
11/11/26 11:00
In Ottawa, two minutes of silence
– Globe staff
At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians gathered at the National War Memorial in Ottawa are pausing for a moment of silence to remember those who served and died defending this country.
11/11/26 10:59
What is the significance of the Last Post?
– Globe staff
The Last Post is a traditional military bugle call that is used at military funerals and at ceremonies commemorating those who have died in battle. It signifies the calling home of the spirits of fallen soldiers to rest.
It was originally played to signal to soldiers that the camp was secured for the night. It was also played to call out to wounded or separated soldiers at the end of a battle, to guide them home to safety.
For Remembrance Day ceremonies, a bugler plays the Last Post and the last note marks the beginning of the two minutes of silence.
11/11/26 10:58
Governor-General Louise Arbour arrives
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
National Silver Cross Mother Virginia Hicks, from left, Governor General Louise Arbour, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney take part in the Remembrance Day service.Keito Newman/The Canadian Press
Governor-General Louise Arbour arrives at the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa, her first as commander-in-chief. Arbour is wearing a uniform. The governor general always wears a military uniform for the ceremony.
11/11/26 10:57
Carney arrives at Ottawa ceremony
– Stephanie Levitz
Open this photo in gallery:
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives for the Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.Keito Newman/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, have arrived at the National War Memorial on this chilly but bright morning in Ottawa.
In a statement to mark Remembrance Day, the Prime Minister paid tribute specifically to the four soldiers killed in the accident at CFB Wainwright, as well as the generations of women and men who have served in the military.
“In an increasingly dangerous and divided world, our rights and freedoms do not defend themselves,” Carney said in his statement.
“They are earned every single day. Our remembrance is more than an expression of gratitude. It is an act of vigilance and determination. And it is a promise: that what they defended, we will defend; that what they won, we will keep, forever cherish and pass on.”
11/11/26 10:48
Silver Cross Mother keeps daughter’s memory alive after 2002 training exercise accident
– Erin Anderssen
Open this photo in gallery:
Virginia Hicks is this year’s National Silver Cross Mother. Her daughter, Private Mariebeth Short, died during a training exercise while serving as a sapper in the 2 Combat Engineer Regimen in 2002.Shay Conroy/The Globe and Mail
Every year, Virginia Hicks places red roses in the branches of a lonely maple tree growing on the Mattawa Plains at CFB Petawawa in Ontario.
The tree marks the place where her daughter, 22-year-old Private Mariebeth Short, died in 2002 during a training exercise while serving as a sapper in the 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. Mrs. Hicks remembers seeing the little sapling, randomly sprouting in the grass when she visited the site the day after the accident. Now bushy and tall, the maple is waiting there every Sept. 23, when she returns with flowers and memories.
This year, Royal Canadian Legion chose Mrs. Hicks, a veteran herself, to be Canada’s Silver Cross Mother. On Remembrance Day, the retired sergeant from Trenton, Ont., will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
She will kneel there for a moment, she says, and think about her daughter and what she might have accomplished. She’ll think about all the military families, past and present, grieving sons and daughters.
Read the full story here.
11/11/26 10:45
Poilievre’s message honours veterans, Wainwright victims
– The Canadian Press
In a video message honouring veterans, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the “cost of service has been brought home” in the wake of the Wainwright fire.
Poilievre also makes special mention of soldiers who served and died in Afghanistan on the 25th anniversary of the start of that conflict.
Poilievre’s Alberta riding includes the community of Wainwright.
11/11/26 10:37
Ottawa’s Remembrance Day ceremony begins
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
Royal Military College of Canada cadets march during the Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday.PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press
A Remembrance Day procession has arrived at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, beginning with military marching bands and a veterans march. Thousands of people line the streets to watch the ceremony.
The program includes a playing of the Last Post and two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. ET. At approximately 11 a.m. ET, there will be a 21-gun salute fired from the east side of Parliament Hill, near the Rideau Canal.
CF-18 fighter jets and a Black Hawk helicopter will perform flypasts over the national ceremony.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, Governor-General Louise Arbour and Silver Cross Mother Virginia Hicks will all lay wreaths at the National War Memorial.
Hicks lost her daughter during a training incident at CFB Petawawa in 2002. She was chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion months before the Wainwright accident took place.
11/11/26 10:28
Doug Ford introducing new Remembrance Day guidelines for Ontario schools
– Sarah Wallace
Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a statement ahead of the province’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, saying that his government had introduced new guidelines for teachers to help students understand the significance of the day.
“As the years pass, it’s more important than ever that their stories of selflessness and bravery are passed on to Ontario’s young people,” Ford said in the statement.
Some of the guidelines include encouraging students to wear poppies and that school flags should be lowered to half-mast – things most schools already implement. The new guidelines also outline specific lessons and themes by grade.
11/11/26 10:22
The poppy is a symbol of remembrance in Wainwright
– Alanna Smith
Open this photo in gallery:
Chelsey McBride, of the Wainwright Flower Cart, created a dress using greenery and silk poppies to mark Remembrance Day.Bill Graveland/The Canadian Press
Shortly after the fatal blaze at CFB Wainwright, Chelsey McBride went into a wooded area near her home to cut down limbs and branches from trees, taking “from Mother Nature for what it took from the fire.”
She then hand wired each piece of greenery to a metal mannequin to form a dress and train before meticulously covering it with roughly 250 red silk poppies. Attached to a black bow that drapes across the skirt are also four white flowers, one each for the soldiers killed on Oct. 17 – Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
The figure, which McBride calls “Poppy,” is displayed outside of her shop, the Wainwright Flower Cart in the town’s centre. She says it is a symbol of remembrance, love and the lives that will not be forgotten.
Holding back tears, McBride said the fire has rattled the close-knit community, especially those who saw firsthand the horrific injuries suffered by soldiers. She said many questions must still be answered surrounding the tragic event.
11/11/26 10:10
How can I find a Remembrance Day ceremony in my community?
– Globe staff
Municipalities across Canada – in smaller communities and major cities – such as Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria and Montreal – are set to hold Remembrance Day ceremonies to honour Canada’s fallen soldiers. The local ceremonies will take place at city halls, universities, schools, city cenotaphs and war memorials.
The Royal Canadian Legion will hold ceremonies at local branches across the country and worldwide. You can use their locator tool to find your local Remembrance Day ceremony. Most provinces or local municipalities also share a map or list of locations for this year’s events on their websites.
11/11/26 09:59
Canadian veteran recalls the D-Day landings in Normandy
Canadian and Allied forces landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944. Jim Parks, with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, was among those storming Juno Beach. He would go on to fight in numerous bat…Full Caption
11/11/26 09:56
In Wainwright, Remembrance Day takes on a new meaning
– Alanna Smith
Open this photo in gallery:
Wainwright mayor Bruce Pugh carries a Canada flag as he gathers alongside soldiers and community members in Wainwright, Alta., on Oct. 21.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
Good morning, I’m Alanna Smith, an Alberta-based Globe reporter. I’m in Wainwright, a small prairie town southeast of Edmonton where Remembrance Day is taking on new meaning after a fatal fire last month killed four soldiers and injured dozens at the nearby Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.
The town of Wainwright and the Canadian military have a rich history stretching back nearly a century. Later this morning, flowers and wreaths will be placed under the town centre’s Memorial Clock Tower, a monument dedicated to Canadians who died in the First and Second World Wars.
Dignitaries, including CFB Wainwright Base Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Dustin MacLeod and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, are to deliver remarks at a ceremony hosted by the local legion after the wreath laying.
“It will be different this year just with the weight of what happened,” Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh told The Canadian Press on Tuesday. “I get a sense that things will never be the same.”
11/11/26 09:40
Carney honours Wainwright victims in Remembrance Day message
– The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a Remembrance Day message saying “rights and freedoms do not defend themselves” in an increasingly “dangerous and divided world.”
He said Remembrance Day is about honouring those who stepped up to serve their country through the generations. He also read the names of the victims of the Wainwright fire: Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.
“With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours. We mourn their loss, stand with those recovering from their injuries, and hold their families and fellow service members in our thoughts,” Carney said.
11/11/26 09:35
Is Remembrance Day a statutory holiday in every province?
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
A Canadian flag rests in front of a military grave marker on Remembrance Day in Calgary, Alta. last year.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
In Canada, Remembrance Day is a federal statutory holiday, meaning workers and employees of federal government organizations receive the day off with pay. Provinces and territories that also recognize Remembrance Day as a paid statutory holiday include British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
In Ontario and Quebec, Nov. 11 is considered a regular work day for most private-sector workers and provincial government employees.
Manitoba and Nova Scotia have distinct legislation that regulates what types of businesses can and can’t operate on Remembrance Day. Manitoba’s Remembrance Day Act, for example, stipulates that most industries must shut down operations for the day, excluding essential services such as hospitals, emergency responders, some trade workers, restaurants and hotels. Retailers are permitted to remain open in Manitoba, but cannot operate between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Remembrance Day Act in Nova Scotia provides similar exceptions for essential services, but most grocery stores, retailers and malls must close.
11/11/26 09:07
Atlantic Canadians to gather for Remembrance Day
– The Canadian Press
Marches and ceremonies are planned across Atlantic Canada on Wednesday to honour those lost in battle.
In downtown St. John’s, N.L., a sombre parade is scheduled to arrive at Newfoundland’s National War Memorial before a ceremony and a moment of silence at 11 a.m.
The annual event attracts hundreds of people in a place deeply marked by its military history.
In Halifax, people will gather downtown at the Grand Parade square, and at legions and cenotaphs across the regional municipality.
Events are also scheduled throughout New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, including TD Station in Saint John and and the cenotaph in Charlottetown.
11/11/26 08:35
Honouring Wainwright victims on Remembrance Day
– The Canadian Press
Open this photo in gallery:
Flowers and messages are laid for the victims of a fire that killed four soldiers at CFB Wainwright, at the Memorial Clock Tower in Wainwright, Alta., on Oct. 20.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
Four soldiers killed in a fire during a training exercise are among those being honoured Wednesday at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Wainwright, Alta.
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to attend along with other dignitaries, military members and veterans.
On Oct. 17, a strong wind sent flames from a grass fire racing onto troops at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, southeast of Edmonton.
Pte. Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver; and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.; and Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton died in the blaze.
Thirty-nine others were injured, and many are still recovering in hospital.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has called it one of the worst tragedies for the Armed Forces on Canadian soil during peacetime. Three investigations are looking into what happened.
Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the town’s annual Remembrance Day service is expected to be the most solemn one in its recent history.
Roughly 300 members of the regiment are set to attend a Remembrance Day service in St. Albert, a bedroom community northwest of Edmonton.
The military says they are to march in a parade to the city’s cenotaph. There will also be a memorial Air Force flypast.
11/11/26 08:00
What’s open and closed on Remembrance Day?
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
A poppy rests at the gravesite of Pte. Charles Harris, of the Canadian Expeditionary Force 93rd Battalion, at Fraser Cemetery, in New Westminster, B.C.DARRYL DYCK/The Globe and Mail
Banks, Canada Post, Service Canada, passport offices, Parliament and other federal government offices are all closed across the country on Nov. 11.
Grocery stores and other retailers may be open in some provinces and territories including Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, potentially with reduced hours. For the most up to date information, consult official provincial and municipal websites, and call local businesses to verify correct hours of operation.
11/11/26 08:00
Why is Remembrance Day on Nov. 11?
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
People gather around the cenotaph, covered in wreaths and poppies, following the National Service of Remembrance in London.Corey Rudy/Reuters
Remembrance Day is commemorated on Nov. 11 to mark the signing of the armistice to cease First World War hostilities at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.
This year marks the 81st anniversary of the end of the Second World War. It is also the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion, which celebrates a century of service to Canadian veterans and military families since it was officially incorporated by Parliament on July 17, 1926.
Remembrance Day, also called Armistice Day, is celebrated in the U.K., France, Belgium and many Commonwealth countries. In the United States, it is called Veterans’ Day.
11/11/26 08:00
How to watch the national Remembrance Day service in Ottawa
– Globe staff
Open this photo in gallery:
A sentry stands guard at the National War Memorial during the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa last year.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Canadians will mark this year’s Remembrance Day with a series of ceremonies and events across the country, including two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. local time.
The Royal Canadian Legion has organized a national Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The ceremony begins at approximately 10:30 a.m. with a program that includes a veterans’ march, a playing of the Last Post, two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. ET and a 21-gun salute.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, Governor-General Louise Arbour and Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight are expected to attend and take part in the wreath-placing ceremony. This year’s National Silver Cross Mother is Virginia Hicks, who will place a wreath on behalf of all Canadian mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.
Road closures around the National War Memorial will affect traffic and OC Transpo service before and during the Remembrance Day ceremony.
The national ceremony will be live-streamed on the Legion’s Facebook page, and will also be shown on TV by Canada’s national news networks.
11/11/26 08:00
Canadians gather for Remembrance Day ceremonies
– The Canadian Press
Open this photo in gallery:
Canadian soldiers in the trenches at Vimy Ridge in 1917 during the First World War.The Canadian Press
Canadians across the country are gathering Wednesday to reflect on the legacy of war and remember the men and women who served and died defending this country.
Canadians will mark 25 years since the start of the Afghanistan war, a conflict in which 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served and 159 lost their lives.
The Afghanistan conflict, which lasted more than 12 years, was the longest in Canadian history and saw the largest deployment of Canadian troops since the Second World War.
Three Second World War veterans are expected to attend the ceremony in Ottawa and Prime Minister Mark Carney, Govenor-General Louise Arbour and other dignitaries will lay wreaths at the National War Memorial.
CF-18 fighter jets and a Black Hawk helicopter will perform flypasts over the national ceremony, while Griffon, Chinook and Cormorant helicopters and other RCAF aircraft will conduct flyovers at local ceremonies across the country.
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion – founded in 1926 to create one main advocacy group for veterans’ benefits – and the 150th anniversary of the Royal Military College.
Some 300 cadets are expected to attend the parade to mark that anniversary, which is about 200 more cadets than usual.