Torontonians were mostly discouraged from heading to a cenotaph to mark Remembrance Day this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but a number of toned down ceremonies still took place across the city.
Thousands of Torontonians typically gather outside Old City Hall every Nov. 11 to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice but this year the event was limited to invited guests only, with the city urging others to watch on television or online.
The annual sunrise service at Prospect Cemetery was also kept private, as was a separate Remembrance Day ceremony at Queen’s Park attended by Premier Doug Ford and Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
Several dozen people did show up at Old City Hall to pay their respects in person but were required to observe the proceedings from the sidewalk.
“As we continue to confront COVID-19 and the impact of the virus on our own lives we know it pales in comparison to what previous generations confronted in times of war,” Mayor John Tory said during the ceremony. “Their example and their courage in facing all of that should be an inspiration to all of us today.”
[IN PHOTOS: Remembrance Day 2020]
This year marked the 100th year in which a service to remember veterans was held outside Old City Hall on Nov. 11 and Tory said during his speech that it was important that the “chain of remembrance was not broken,” even amid a global pandemic.
He also said that it is important this year, perhaps even more than others, to remember the sacrifices made by Canada’s veterans and why they made them.
“We owe it to all of those past generations, all of those who we honour here today, to get through this pandemic and to continue to build up this city, a city that celebrates and values all the freedoms that have been fought for by our veterans and all those no longer with us,” he said.
The service at Old City Hall on Wednesday morning featured a flypast from Canadian Harvard planes in the “missing man formation” as well as a reading of the Act of Remembrance by Second World War veteran Marvin Gord, 99.
All TTC vehicles also stopped at 11 a.m. for two minutes so that riders and operators could participate in the moment of silence.
Meanwhile, outside of Sunnybrook Hospital 37,500 Canadian flags were displayed on the lawn as in past years but instead of an in-person ceremony a small drive-by parade was held in front of the Veterans Centre.
“This year is considerably different,” Premier Doug Ford said during the closed ceremony at Queen’s Park. “But those we honour are with us in spirit. They are with us from the safety of their homes and we thank the legion for all the hard work to keep the flame of those we’ve lost shinning brightly this year. Today we stand united as a people, as a province and as a country, in paying tribute to our heroes.”
Earlier in the day, a separate ceremony for invited guests only was also held at Queen’s Park to unveil a new monument honouring the 158 Canadians killed during the Afghanistan war.
