Clear blue masks rubbed shoulders with red poppies on that chilly Thursday morning in November, as Canadians gathered at cenotaphs and memorials across the country to remember and pay tribute to those who died in the service of the country and for the freedom.
This year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies contrasted sharply with those of last year, in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic, when organizers discouraged citizens from attending in person.
Since the founding of the country, more than 2.3 million Canadians have donned military uniforms and more than 120,000 have made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. Governor General Mary May Simon noted Thursday morning that many of those who returned to the country were no longer the same.
Ms. Simon, who wore the Royal Canadian Air Force uniform on her very first Remembrance Day as Commander-in-Chief of the country’s Armies, also made a point of highlighting the long history and sacrifice of the Indigenous military.
She also recalled that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, during the Korean War, and the 15th anniversary of the death of the first Canadian in combat, Captain Nichola Goddard.
The Governor General said in a statement that it was “important to know the stories of soldiers, past and present.”
“Although some stories may be difficult to hear, it is our duty to bear witness to them. We hope that the memory of the sacrifices of the past will enable us to envision a future marked by peace. It depends on us. It’s in our hands. It is incumbent upon us to perpetuate the duty of remembrance. “
Legault greets the families and the bereaved
On this Remembrance Day, the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, for his part, paid tribute to those who live in mourning or absence.
He took part in the ceremony organized to commemorate the fallen soldiers at the Cross of Sacrifice, near the National Assembly, on the Plains of Abraham.
Shortly after the ceremony, he paid tribute to the memory of the Quebec soldiers who suffered in the trenches of the First World War, as well as those who took part in the Normandy landings during the Second World War.
Mr. Legault recounted having met the widow of a soldier. According to him, we forget the absences that must live these families who must support the soldiers on mission abroad.
The poppy is 100 years old
This year’s Remembrance Day also marks the centenary of the poppy, a symbol of remembrance in this country, inspired by the poem by John McCrae In Flanders Fields.
“We are dead / We who were still thinking the day before / Of our parents, of our friends, / We are the ones who rest here / In the field of honor. “
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that 100 years later, the poppy remains an unmistakable symbol of dark days.
At the National War Memorial in Ottawa, the “Act of Remembrance” was read again in English, French and an Aboriginal language – this year the Métchif language, spoken by Métis people. The “Act of Remembrance” is an excerpt from the poem For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon: “When will the hour of twilight come / And that of dawn / We will remember them”.
Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Simon arrived long minutes later than expected, due to the discovery of a suspicious package near the cenotaph. The ceremony was already underway when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police safely cleared the package, allowing dignitaries to arrive.
Canceled parades
Despite this brief delay, there was a semblance of “normalcy” in the nation’s capital, as crowds gathered around the National War Memorial and veterans took their seats.
Some restrictions have remained in place, however, as COVID-19 continues to threaten. The Royal Canadian Legion has also canceled the traditional veterans parade in Ottawa again, which in the past has seen very elderly veterans of the Second World War and the Korean War marching alongside younger military personnel, from missions and more recent conflicts.
Some sections of the Legion across the country have also avoided in-person events for a second year in a row, due to the pandemic, leading to many more Canadians watching their local ceremony on television or online.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, himself an Air Force veteran, said that “our veterans and those who serve today represent the very best in ‘be a Canadian’.
“Their selflessness and courage is an inspiration to all of us. Today we have the opportunity to thank them for serving Canada, at home and abroad, so that we can live in freedom. “
Veterans wounded in their souls
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, paid tribute to “Quebec soldiers and Quebecers [qui] demonstrated an unusual sense of duty and commitment ” […] during “the great world conflicts, just like in the many peace missions”.
His colleague Luc Désilets, spokesperson for the Bloc with Veterans Affairs, stressed for his part that several veterans have also “succumbed, on the fringes of society, to the pangs of deep physical and psychological wounds and largely ignored”.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also called attention to the suffering of some veterans, and to “making sure that veterans and their families are well supported.”
“For too long, the government has failed to meet their needs, which explains the increase in the rate of homelessness and mental health problems among those who have served our country,” he said.
In anticipation of Remembrance Day this year, questions have been raised about the possibility of the Canadian flag being lowered on November 11 when it had been half mast since mid-May in honor of the children who died in federal residential schools for Aboriginal people.
The government finally gave instructions on Sunday to hoist the Canadian flag on public buildings, so that it could be half-masted again on Thursday. The maple leaf was also half mast on Monday, National Indigenous Veterans Day.