The Latest: Canadians gather to mark Remembrance Day

OTTAWA – Canadians across the country are reflecting on the sacrifices and service of Canadian Armed Forces members today as they mark Remembrance Day.

This year is also the 25th anniversary of the start of the Afghanistan war in which 40,000 Canadians served. Veterans Affairs Canada says 158 Canadian Armed Forces members and seven Canadian civilians — a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist — lost their lives while in Afghanistan.

This year’s ceremonies take place just weeks after the tragic fire at Canadian Armed Forces Base Wainwright. Four soldiers were killed and dozens were injured when a wildfire suddenly overtook a training exercise.

All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.

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12:10 p.m. — At least 2,000 people have lined a street in downtown St. Albert, Alta., to pay their respects at a Remembrance Day service.

More than 300 members of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry marched to the service, along with cadets and RCMP officers.

The regiment was taking part in attack training at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright last month, when wind whipped a grass fire into a group of soldiers. Four were killed and dozens were injured.

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12:00 p.m. — A moment of silence is held in Alberta, where there is extra attention on Remembrance Day in that province after a wildfire killed four soldiers at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright during a training exercise and injured dozens more.

They were Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.

Hundreds gathered for the ceremony in Wainwright, Alta. a small community about two kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

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11:40 a.m. — Governor General Louise Arbour and Prime Minister Mark Carney greet veterans and other dignitaries as the national Remembrance Day Ceremony comes to a close.

Carney shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra during this time, and the two have a brief exchange.

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11:30 a.m. — In Ottawa, Rabbi Idan Scher said the people of Wainwright exemplified the military spirit of stepping up to serve in the wake of the deadly fire during by asking “how can I help?”

“In those four simple words, lies the very spirit of service we honour today. The choice to look beyond ourselves, to recognize our responsibility to one another. And to place the needs of others before our own,” he said while giving the benediction at the national ceremony.

“Today, we remember those who never came home. We honour those who returned bearing the scars of service, some visible to the world, others carried silently deep within. And we stand with the families whose sacrifices continue long after the uniforms have been put away.”

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11:25 a.m. — Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow commemorated the Legion on its 100th anniversary during her remarks at today’s Remembrance Day ceremony. The Legion, she said, has supported veterans and kept their stories alive. “The Legion shows us the city we can be. A city where no one carries the burden alone. A city where we take care of each other and stand up for each other,” she said.

11:17 a.m. Brig.-Gen. Éric Landry, who has served in Afghanistan, told a Remembrance Day ceremony outside Queen’s Park in Toronto that Canada is a country worth defending.

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11:15 a.m. — After the bell struck 11 atop Toronto’s Old City Hall, Rev. Levi Samson Beardy read the act of remembrance in Ojibwe. Before he stepped away from the podium, he addressed the crowd gathered around the cenotaph for the Remembrance Day ceremony.

“As we think of remembering the past, let us look to the future that there may be peace. And if you’re praying person, pray for peace. So that our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will not to have to endure the horrors of war,” he said.

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11:15 a.m. — After the clock on Toronto’s Old City Hall strikes 11, Rev. Levi Samson Beardy reads the act of remembrance in Ojibwe. Before he steps away from the podium, he addresses the crowd gathered around the cenotaph for the Remembrance Day ceremony.

“As we think of remembering the past, let us look to the future that there may be peace. And if you’re praying person, pray for peace. So that our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will not to have to endure the horrors of war,” he says.

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11:11 a.m. — Gov. Gen. General Louise Arbour lays the first wreath at the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on behalf of “the people of Canada.” She is followed by Virginia Hicks, this year’s Silver Cross mother, who lays a wreath on behalf of “the mothers of Canada.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney then lays a wreath on behalf of the government of Canada. More dignitaries continue to lay wreaths at the cenotaph.

11:10 a.m. — A prayer for the Wainwright victims is read out as the sound of cannon fire rolls over Montreal during the Remembrance Day ceremony.

The official laying of wreaths begins at the foot of the monument.

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11 a.m. — The national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa observes two minutes of silence.

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10:52 a.m. — Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour arrives at the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa, her first as commander-in-chief.

Arbour is wearing a uniform. The governor general always wears a military uniform for the ceremony.

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10:50 a.m. — Virginia Hicks, this year’s Silver Cross mother, arrives at the national Remembrance Day ceremony, where she will lay a wreath on behalf of all mothers who have lost children in military service.

Her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, was killed in a training exercise on Sept. 23, 2002 in Petawawa, Ont.

Hicks is a veteran herself, working in supply and logistics for 29 years.

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10:45 a.m. — Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox arrive at the National War Memorial for the national Remembrance Day ceremony. He shakes hands with the assembled dignitaries, including Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan.

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10:40 a.m. — A Remembrance Day procession arrives at the war memorial at Place du Canada in Montreal.

About a hundred people gather under sunny skies for the ceremony, including many young people.

Many chat in small groups ahead of the ceremony, with red poppies pinned to their coats.

Several wreaths are laid on the ground on behalf of different organizations, including one honouring the victims of Wainwright

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10:30 a.m. — The national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa gets underway as military bands and veterans march to the National War Memorial near Parliament. Thousands of people line the streets to watch the ceremony.

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10 a.m. — NDP Leader Avi Lewis issues a Remembrance Day message and, like other leaders, he pays special attention to those who died in the fire at CFB Wainwright last month.

“This Remembrance Day, we reinforce our commitment to a Canada where every veteran has a roof over their head, honour the legacy of those who defeated fascism by standing against hate, and rededicate ourselves to the task of building a peaceful world,” Lewis said.

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9:20 a.m. — Prime Minister Mark Carney issues a Remembrance Day message saying “rights and freedoms do not defend themselves” in an increasingly “dangerous and divided world.”

He says today is about honouring those who stepped up to serve their country through the generations. He reads the names of the victims of the Wainwright fire: Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding, and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark.

“With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours. We mourn their loss, stand with those recovering from their injuries, and hold their families and fellow service members in our thoughts,” Carney said.

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9:10 a.m. — A Remembrance Day procession arrives at the National War Memorial in Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital city. Hundreds of people gather at the monument in St. John’s, despite the rain. The hushed crowd prepares for the two minutes of silence.

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9:10 a.m. — In a video clip released today of a speech she made in the legislature earlier this week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says “wearing a uniform from the Canadian Armed Forces is a declaration that you will lay down your life for the values of this nation.”

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8:30 a.m. — People begin to gather along the fence line at the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa.

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8:15 a.m. — Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour releases a Remembrance Day message calling on all Canadians to reflect on the courage and dedication of Canada Armed Forces members and the sacrifices made by their families and communities.

She says the Wainwright fire is a reminder that everyone who serves is a human being who “accepts risk on behalf of others and is supported by loved ones who share in the sacrifices that service often demands.”

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7:45 a.m. — In a video message honouring veterans, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the “cost of service has been brought home” in the wake of the Wainwright fire.

Poilievre also makes special mention of soldiers who served and died in Afghanistan on the 25th anniversary of the start of that conflict.

Poilievre’s Alberta riding includes the community of Wainwright.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2026

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. An earlier version misspelled the name of Sapper Mariebeth Short.