Remembrance Day ceremonies in Montreal and across the province are scaled down compared to previous years as novel coronavirus cases surge, but Canadians are still asked to honour veterans’ wartime sacrifices in other ways.
The Royal Canadian Legion is explicitly discouraging people from attending ceremonies in person this year and is instead asking people to watch on TV or online due to the pandemic.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says it is time to “remember those who acted with courage, sometimes at the cost of their lives, to protect us and to ensure our future.”
“Let us honour their memory by drawing inspiration from their courage to get through this pandemic together,” she wrote on social media.
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In Montreal, there was a small ceremony downtown to mark the occasion. A small gathering of people were present to honour veterans and those who died, and the Last Post was played before wreaths were laid at the cenotaph.
However, access was limited since the city remains a designated COVID-19 red zone, which means a ban on most gatherings.
The annual Remembrance Day ceremony at John Abbott College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue has been cancelled due to the pandemic, but a commemorative video has been issued to mark the day.
In Quebec City, a scaled-down event also took place around 10:45 a.m. where Premier François Legault was present.
A series of fly-bys is also planned by the Royal Canadian Air Force, including over Quebec.
— With files from Global News’ Emerald Bensadoun and the Canadian Press