No in-person Remembrance Day services in Hamilton this year due to COVID-19

This Remembrance Day in Hamilton will look very different compared to previous years due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The city said its Remembrance Day service on Nov. 11 will take place virtually this year to “honour and remember Canada’s Veterans while adhering to Public Health restrictions on large gatherings.”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger touched on the switch to online services during Monday’s COVID-19 media briefing.

“Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions in accordance with the directions from our emergency operations centre, there will be no public services conducted for Remembrance Day at any of the cenotaphs, including the military parades or public gatherings at the cenotaphs,” said Eisenberger.

The virtual Nov. 11 service will begin at 10:30 a.m., can be viewed on Cable 14, and will include a special broadcast of “Hamilton Remembers” that will highlight past ceremonies in the city.

The Lancaster will take flight over local cenotaphs on Remembrance Day, and a series of educational videos made by members of the Hamilton Veterans Committee and staff from the Hamilton Military Museum will be available on the city’s YouTube page.

In addition, a collection of historic images of past military services — entitled “Hero Windows” — will be on display on the Lister Block and a live piper will play in front of the exhibit on Nov. 4 and Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.

The city is asking those who wish to have a wreath placed at the cenotaph on behalf of their organization to leave their wreaths at the Hamilton Military Museum between Nov. 4 and Nov. 10, as there will be no public wreath-laying permitted on Remembrance Day.

Paul Johnson, director of the emergency operations centre, acknowledged that there are residents who are frustrated with events like the Remembrance Day service being altered this year.

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He said they’ve been working on finding ways to hold “key community events” in a safe way without simply cancelling them.

“I know a lot of people say, ‘Everything’s being cancelled.’ And I would say, often that it’s being changed a lot. You know, we have virtual runs happening — marathons are still going on, but they’re happening with people doing them on their own in more of that virtual way.”

Johnson also cited the success of the annual Mum Show, which saw in-person tickets selling out quickly.

That prompted the city to come up with virtual tours of the show at the Gage Park greenhouse, and overall, Johnson said this year’s Mum Show was “well-received.”