National Remembrance Day Ceremony 2020: A more intimate commemoration

Nov 10, 2020 - 4 years ago

The global pandemic has directly affected the execution of tomorrow's National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. However, The Royal Canadian Legion is still planning for a much smaller yet heartfelt ceremony, which will include a maximum of 100 participants.

“The importance of a live ceremony honouring our Veterans and their sacrifices is considered paramount by the Legion, especially during the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War,” says Danny Martin, National Ceremony Director. “At a time when we have all been isolated for months by the pandemic, ensuring the symbolism of the Legion and community leaders paying homage to our Veterans is more important than ever.”

For the first time, spectators will be discouraged from attending in person, due to the limited space and requirement to physically distance. The smaller number of people participating will be required to remain 2m apart and will need to wear masks unless performing certain duties related to the ceremony.

Anticipated significant changes to this year’s commemoration include:

No Veteran’s parade
No Canadian Armed Forces parade
A reduced colour party
Wreaths pre-positioned such that no wreath bearers or assistants will be required
No members of the Cadets or Junior Rangers present

Similarly-scaled back ceremonies will be organized by many Legion Branches across the country, to the best of their abilities given the current restrictions. Please contact your local Legion Branch for updated information as the weeks progress. The Legion’s National Headquarters will also continue to release national updates as more details become available.

The Legion will offer a Facebook Live presentation of the National Remembrance Day ceremony, and additional broadcast plans are under consideration.