Remembrance Day: Freedoms only as strong as Canadians’ will to uphold them, says Kinew

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OTTAWA -- This Remembrance Day marks eight decades since the conclusion of the Second World War and 25 years since the entombment of Canada’s Unknown Soldier, a First World War combatant who remains unidentified.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa honours the more than 118,000 Canadians who sacrificed their lives in service to their country.

Veterans Affairs Canada estimates that, as of this year, there are just 3,691 surviving Canadian veterans of the Second World War — 667 women and 3,024 men.

Here’s how Canadians remembered those veterans on Tuesday — the ones who survived and the ones who never made it home. All times Eastern.

• IN PICTURES: Remembrance Day marked across the country

2:45 p.m.

After a performance of The Last Post, a C-17 Globemaster conducts a flyby over Calgary in honour of Remembrance Day.

Attending the ceremony in Calgary, Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says Remembrance Day is about honouring “the brave Canadians who have served in uniform to defend our country” and its values of peace, democracy and human rights.

Ken McPherson, 66, spent most of his career on peacekeeping missions after joining up in 1976. He says he’s happy to see such a large crowd turn out in Calgary to thank those who made it home, and those who didn’t.

1:47 p.m.

Several thousand people gather in Victoria’s Inner Harbour to take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies on the grounds of the provincial legislature.

Victoria MP Will Greaves and MLA Grace Lore are among the local dignitaries attending the ceremony, joining veterans and senior figures representing the branches of the Canadian Armed Forces.

1:29 p.m.

Retired major Roger Prouse, who is 87, joined the army cadets as a 14-year-old in Vancouver and went on to 47 years in military and volunteer service.

His father was a First World War veteran and his brother also served in the military, he says, adding it’s in his “family’s blood to serve our country.”

Prouse, who attended the service in Victory Square in downtown Vancouver to lay a white rose and a wreath on behalf of the City of Vancouver, says it’s important to honour those who served “in war and in peacetime.”

1:08 p.m.

Chief Petty Officer, Second Class, Matthew Chabassol attends the Remembrance Day service on the grounds of B.C.’s provincial legislature in Victoria with his two children.

He says everyone should do something to mark this day and he is thinking of his friends and family who have served.

12: 56 p.m.

Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne represents the federal government at the Calgary ceremony.

Senior members of the Canadian Forces, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi and Calgary’s newly elected Mayor Jeromy Farkas are also in attendance.

12:41 p.m.

In a media statement, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew expresses his gratitude to Canada’s armed forces and urges Canadians to honour the memory of those who died in Canada’s service by continuing to uphold the values for which they fought.

Kinew says the freedoms Canadians enjoy were secured and defended by people who believed in something bigger than themselves.

He says those rights and freedoms are only as strong as Canadians’ determination to uphold them.

12:40 p.m.

Thousands gather at The Military Museums in Calgary to mark Remembrance Day. A choir performs before the ceremony begins.

Ken McCready and other veterans are seated at the front of the audience. He says the number of people attending the event — many of them young people — makes him feel that the fighting was not in vain.

12:32 p.m.

In a media statement, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith marks several milestones of the day: 80 years since the end of the Second World War, 110 years since John McCrae wrote “In Flanders Fields,” 115 years since the founding of the Royal Canadian Navy and 170 years since the establishment of the Canadian Army.

Smith says she invites all Albertans to join her in a moment of silence to show appreciation for Canada’s veterans and to renew a shared commitment to the freedoms they defended.

12:28 p.m.

Dressed in red serge, retired RCMP sergeant Don Bindon heads to the Remembrance Day service in Vancouver.

Bindon, a 36-year veteran of the RCMP, says his son is in the army and his father also fought during the Second World War.

He says he marches every year he can to honour the “awful lot of very good men and women” who died in war.

12:25 p.m.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says people across the province stand with veterans, mariners and members of the Armed Forces to reflect on the terrible cost of war.

In a media statement, the premier says this Remembrance Day is being observed at a time of renewed interest in what it means to be Canadian.

He says Canada forged its identity in part on the distant battlefields of Vimy and Passchendaele and as part of the coalition of nations that fought the war in Afghanistan.

11:48 a.m.

Dignitaries leave the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa and onlookers begin to place their poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

11:35 a.m.

At Queen’s Park in Toronto, young cadets lay wreaths at the Ontario Veterans’ Memorial in front of dozens of veterans, their families and observers.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly lays a wreath on behalf of the federal government.

11:18 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa as the Ottawa Children’s’ Choir sings “In Flanders Fields.”

Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan and representatives of the RCMP, the Assembly of First Nations and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami lay their wreaths at the National War Memorial.

The national Silver Cross mother, Nancy Payne, lays a wreath on behalf of mothers and families whose loved ones have died in war.

11:12 a.m.

At Toronto’s Old City Hall, Mayor Olivia Chow says Remembrance Day in the city is especially poignant this year, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Toronto Cenotaph.

The cenotaph, completed in 1925, was built to honour the war dead and their sacrifices.

Chow says it’s important to remember the sacrifices made by Canada’s fallen soldiers, veterans and their families.

11:10 a.m.

Chaplain General Col. Lisa Pacarynuk delivers the invocation at the national ceremony to mark Remembrance Day in Ottawa.

She says today is a moment for Canadians to remember that life and peace are fragile, and that progress comes from past sacrifices.

She extends her thanks to Nancy Payne, this year’s national Silver Cross mother, saying she and others like her ear the scars of military service and their loss is our loss.

11 a.m.

The crack of artillery fire rings out over the drone of bagpipes at Queen’s Park in Toronto — part of a 21-gun salute that is followed by a moment of silence honouring veterans who have passed.

Among those in attendance at the ceremony are Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly.

11 a.m.

The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Ottawa Children’s Choir perform O Canada at the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa.

Hundreds of attendees wearing poppies stand at attention, some holding photos of loved ones who died in war.

An Indigenous veteran carries the Canadian Armed Forces’ eagle staff to honour Indigenous members of the forces.

10:48 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the site of the national ceremony to mark Remembrance Day in Ottawa.

Joined by his wife Diana Fox Carney, the prime minister is greeted by Berkley Lawrence, president of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Nancy Payne, this year’s national Silver Cross mother — whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2006 — also arrives at the ceremony.

She will lay a wreath on behalf of Canadian mothers who lost their children in military service.

10:27 a.m.

Boston’s newly re-elected Mayor Michelle Wu is attending the Remembrance Day ceremony in Halifax today.

Accompanied by Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, Wu says she’s happy to attend the ceremony to honour the continuing relationship between Halifax and Boston.

Wu laid a wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of the City of Boston.

9:20 a.m.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Canadians across the country will “pause and reflect” on those who served in war.

In a media statement issued today, Poilievre said Canada’s military history is “as brilliant and storied as the country itself.”

He says he thanks veterans today and every day. “May we all, in our own small ways, carry on their selfless spirit,” he added.

9:04 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says that in an increasingly dangerous and divided world, remembrance is an act of vigilance and sovereignty and security are not guaranteed.

In a media statement issued today, Carney says Remembrance Day is a moment to honour the women and men who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces to protect Canadians each day, and to remember their “acts of heroic service.”

He says Canadians remember that their rights, freedoms and way of life were “fought for and were won by Canadians who answered the call.”

8:45 a.m.

People have started gathering near the National War Memorial in Ottawa ahead of today’s national ceremony to mark Remembrance Day.

Chief Justice Richard Wagner will be filling in at this year’s ceremony for Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who is unable to attend as she recovers in hospital from a respiratory virus, Rideau Hall said late Monday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight and other dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2025.