Canadians are gathering across the country on November 11, Remembrance Day, to pay tribute to the sacrifice of the men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the values and principles of our country.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid a wreath at the National War Memorial. He was accompanied by the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, and this year’s National Mother of the Silver Cross, Maureen Anderson of New Brunswick.
National Mother of the Silver Cross, Maureen Anderson, is escorted by Steven Clark, Dominion Director of the Royal Canadian Legion, to the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Monday, November 11, 2024. Mrs. Anderson lost her two military sons. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Ms. Anderson this year represents the mothers of all military personnel killed in the line of duty. His two sons, Sergeants Ron and Ryan Anderson, fought in Afghanistan; they later died after battling, this time, post-traumatic stress disorder.
The mournful sound of “Last Call” is also heard around countless other cenotaphs and monuments across the country Monday, as Canadians take a moment, “at 11 a.m. on the 11th of the 11th,” to pay silent tribute to all fallen soldiers.
The ceremonies will also honor members of the Canadian Armed Forces who continue to serve today.
“Throughout our history, the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have protected our country,” Mr. Trudeau wrote in a publication on X. “Some have returned from combat forever transformed. Others stayed there. We will always be indebted to them and we will never forget.”
In Montreal
In downtown Montreal, several dignitaries, including the Prime Minister of Quebec and the Mayor of Montreal, participated in a Remembrance Day ceremony.
Poppy in his buttonhole, Prime Minister François Legault paid tribute to those who fought under the flag Monday morning, in front of Marie-Reine-du-monde Cathedral.
“It’s important, they were courageous and we must remember these people,” said the Prime Minister, emphasizing that the world is not immune to major conflicts.
“It was thought for a while that there would be no more big wars. But when we look at what’s happening in Ukraine, when we look at what’s happening in the Middle East, we don’t want it, but it’s not impossible.”
Just before he spoke in front of the cathedral, hundreds of soldiers marched in front of him, at a steady pace, on René-Lévesque Boulevard.
The Prime Minister was notably accompanied by his wife Isabelle Brais and the Minister responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière.
Quebec Premier François Legault and his wife, Isabelle Brais, take part in a Remembrance Day ceremony in Montreal, Monday, November 11, 2024. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
He, a former soldier who carried out several missions in different countries, recalled that more than 12,000 Indigenous people served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
“It’s a reality that is little known. During the First Great War, there were 4,000. It was one in four men in several communities who served as volunteers. It’s a big commitment and we want to underline it.”
A little earlier, shortly after 11 a.m., dignitaries, including Mayor Valérie Plante, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, and Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, as well as members of the Canadian Armed Forces filed papers wreaths of flowers displaying red poppies at the foot of the cenotaph at Place du Canada.
Veteran Luc Fortier, who served with the Royal 22e Régiment for 32 years, also participated in the ceremonies.
During the dozens of missions he carried out, he lost “many friends and many brothers in arms” and, for him, Remembrance Day is an opportunity to reflect “and to think of the good lost friends.
The last mission he served was in Afghanistan.
Despite the return of the Taliban, who have increased the already drastic restrictions on human rights, Luc Fortier remains hopeful that the Canadian intervention in this country and the sacrifices, including the deaths of dozens of Canadians, have not not been in vain.
“If we look at Afghanistan, it’s back to square one. But during the 20 years that we were there, everyone, including the people who died there, we sowed little seeds in the youth by allowing them to go to school” and “among these young people, one day, I hope, leaders will emerge and there are some who will put the country back on its feet.
The Fusiliers Mont-Royal as well as the musicians of the Royal Highland Regiment played solemn tunes, notably trumpet and bagpipes, during the ceremony which took place between 11 a.m. and noon.
— With Stéphane Blais, The Canadian Press
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