Suspicious package delayed Ottawa Remembrance Day ceremony: RCMP
The national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on Thursday was delayed because a suspicious package was identified on the premises, the RCMP says.
A spokesperson from the organization told CTV News that the package was found a few minutes prior to the ceremony.
“As a precautionary measure, our officers investigated it and the package was cleared a few minutes after,” a statement from the RCMP reads.
Members of the Explosive Disposal Unit, which is a combined team of RCMP and Ottawa Police Service officers, and a police service dog, attended the scene.
The security issue pushed back the arrival of the motorcades of the prime minister, the Silver Cross Mother, and the Governor General by 10 minutes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau were set to arrive at 10:45 a.m. EST, according to the event's schedule, but arrived closer to 10:55 a.m. EST.
Their delay was notable, as Remembrance Day ceremonies usually stick to a strict schedule.
Also present were Defence Minister Anita Anand and Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay.
Anand, who was already there before the dignitaries arrived, says she was unware of any security threat.
“I was seated in front of the war memorial and I heard, after the event, that there was a security threat and a minor delay…during the ceremony nothing came to my attention at all,” she said during an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play airing Thursday.
“Of course it concerns me but I know that we have excellent security services on the ground.”
The proceedings returned to some semblance of normality this year after being adjusted to reflect COVID-19 public health guidelines in 2020. Veterans and spectators have been invited to line the streets.
LEADERS REFLECT ON VETERANS’ SACRIFICES
Earlier in the day, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon issued a statement reflecting on the day.
“It is important to learn about the stories of soldiers, past and present. Though some stories may be hard to hear, it is our responsibility to bear witness. Our hope is that by recalling past sacrifices, we can look to a peaceful future. It is up to all of us. It is in our hands. It is our duty to keep the memory alive,” she wrote in a statement published Thursday.
Trudeau also sent out a message.
“We pause to remember their brave sacrifices, and acknowledge a debt we can never repay. We pay tribute to those who have lost their lives, and those who have been physically or mentally scarred by their service, as well as their family members and loved ones,” reads a statement from Trudeau.
More than 2.3 million Canadians have served in uniform since Confederation.
“Thanks to their selflessness, dedication, and bravery, members of our military and police have been defending freedom, peace, and democracy – the values that we cherish deeply within our hearts,” Trudeau said.
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, a veteran himself, said “Our veterans and those serving today represent the very best of what it means to be Canadian. Their selflessness and courage serve as an inspiration to all of us.
“To show your gratitude, wear a poppy, attend your local cenotaph ceremony, and take a moment of silence to reflect and remember that our country’s freedoms came at a great cost.”
Thursday marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy campaign in Canada.
In his own statement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh both recognized the day and criticized the federal government for what he called inaction to meet veterans' needs.
“We need to make sure Canada’s veterans and their families are well supported. For too long, the government has not met the needs of veterans and it shows in the rise of homelessness and mental health challenges among those who have served their country. Veterans deserve more than empty promises,” he said.
In an interview with CTV News, MacAulay said the government is prepared to release its new mental health initiative for veterans in March, 2022.
“Anything to help veterans we’re going to do,” he said.
A major backlog remains within Veterans Affairs Canada to process disability claims for veterans who sustained long-term injuries during military service.
MacAulay attributed the backlog to an increase in applications of over 90 per cent but noted Ottawa has cut it down by close to 30 per cent in the last year.
“Not good enough at all, but we will be putting more people in place to make sure we get the backlog under control,” he said.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.
Local Spotlight
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Cat found at Pearson airport 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.