Remembrance Day is coming up, but COVID-19 restrictions are changing the way we celebrate the occasion, with many ceremonies moving online.
The Royal Canadian Legion will be moving forward with their annual National Remembrance Ceremony, marking 75 years since the end of the Second World War with a virtual livestream at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
“For the first time, we are discouraging people from going to the ceremonies that are often held across the country, ” said Nujma Bond, communications manager with the the Royal Canadian Legion.
“It’s meant a drastic difference in what the crowds will look like.”
While both the Veteran’s Parade and Canadian Armed Forces Parade have been cancelled this year, Toronto’s commemorative ceremonies are set to be filmed and posted to the city’s website and social media accounts.
According to medical director Dr. Jocelyn Charles, Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto’s Leaside neighbourhood also has plans to modify their annual Remembrance Day ceremonies around COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s important for our veterans [to know] that even when Canada faces significant problems like a pandemic, that their sacrifice isn’t forgotten,” Charles said.
“We’ve pre-recorded our remembrance day ceremony and we will be broadcasting it to all of our veterans and their families, brought right to them.”
Hundreds of volunteers from the community would normally help make the centre’s raise a flag program come to life, but because of COVID-19 Sunnybrook staff will be planting Canadian flags across the grounds this year, with the help of the Canadian military.
“Our veterans are going to wake up on Remembrance Day to see thousands of Canadian flags planted all across the Veterans Centre’s grounds.”
Sunnybrook’s traditional service of Remembrance will air on OMNI 1 on November 11th at 10:30 am.
The Royal Canadian Legion will be moving forward with their annual National Remembrance Ceremony, marking 75 years since the end of the Second World War with a virtual livestream at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
“For the first time, we are discouraging people from going to the ceremonies that are often held across the country, ” said Nujma Bond, communications manager with the the Royal Canadian Legion.
“It’s meant a drastic difference in what the crowds will look like.”
While both the Veteran’s Parade and Canadian Armed Forces Parade have been cancelled this year, Toronto’s commemorative ceremonies are set to be filmed and posted to the city’s website and social media accounts.
According to medical director Dr. Jocelyn Charles, Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto’s Leaside neighbourhood also has plans to modify their annual Remembrance Day ceremonies around COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s important for our veterans [to know] that even when Canada faces significant problems like a pandemic, that their sacrifice isn’t forgotten,” Charles said.
“We’ve pre-recorded our remembrance day ceremony and we will be broadcasting it to all of our veterans and their families, brought right to them.”
Hundreds of volunteers from the community would normally help make the centre’s raise a flag program come to life, but because of COVID-19 Sunnybrook staff will be planting Canadian flags across the grounds this year, with the help of the Canadian military.
“Our veterans are going to wake up on Remembrance Day to see thousands of Canadian flags planted all across the Veterans Centre’s grounds.”
Sunnybrook’s traditional service of Remembrance will air on OMNI 1 on November 11th at 10:30 am.
