Advisories & News
Press Release
Remembrance Day Celebration 2020 at Queen’s Park
2020-11-17
12 November 2020, Toronto, Ontario – Canada celebrated Remembrance Day yesterday, 11 November 2020. The Queen’s Park Ceremony of Remembrance was held on the said date to honor the veterans and active service members, at an outdoor service in the Ontario Veterans Memorial, in front of the Legislative Assembly in Toronto. The Ontario Veterans Memorial, built in 2006, is a lasting tribute to Canadian veterans and serves as a continual reminder of the heroism, bravery, and sacrifices made by those who have served and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict, and peace, for the protection of the freedom of Canada.
Like many nations around the world, Canadians gather on Remembrance Day to remember and thank millions of Canadians who served, not only the First and Second World Wars, but also the Korean War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Afghanistan War. As Major Jean-Michel Gidlow, Master of Ceremonies at the Ontario’s Remembrance Day Ceremony, “By remembering their service and their sacrifice on Remembrance Day, we recognize the significant differences these men and women have made to our democracy, our freedom, and our future”.
Remembrance Day 2020 was different from previous celebrations during the past years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce the risk of exposure or spread the virus, the ceremony followed provincial health and safety protocol, including having fewer attendees, adhering to the strict rules on physical distancing. The public was encouraged to watch the solemn ceremony on television or through the online livestreaming.
The Platform Party, which were the distinguished guests at the ceremony, was composed of the following: (1) Honorable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario; (2) Honorable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; (3) Mrs. Raine Samson Dawe, 2019 National Silver Cross Mother; (4) Honorable Carolyn Ann Bennett, Member of Parliament & Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations & Northern Affairs; (5) Honorable Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries; (6) Brigadier-General Conrad Mialkowski, Commander, 4th Canadian Division; (7) Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnn Archibald; (8) Jessica Bell, Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament, Legislative Assembly of Ontario; (9) General (Retired) Rick Hillier, Former Chief of the Defense Staff, Canadian Armed Forces; (10) Major-General (Retired) David Fraser, Canadian Armed Forces; and (11) Mr. Steven Davidson, Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Ontario Public Service.
As soon as the Platform Party were at their places at the Memorial Monument, the Vice Regal Salute, which is a combination of the Royal Anthem “God Save the Queen” and the Canadian National Anthem, was played. At exactly 11:00 in the morning, the first round of the 21-gun salute was fired by the 7th Toronto Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery, followed by two-minutes of silence, then the playing of the bugle, the sound of which symbolizes the awakening of the fallen soldiers in a better world and the rousing of the living to do their duty after paying respects to the dead, then the flypast by members of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. There were also the bells tolling at the nearby University of Toronto’s St. George campus and the familiar wailing lament of the bagpipes.
The highlight of the ceremony was the Laying of the Wreaths by the distinguished guests. Veterans and community organizations, as well as members of the Consular Corps of Toronto, bring wreaths to Queen’s park every year to take part in the Remembrance Day ceremony. This year, these organizations sent their wreaths, which were placed along the Veteran Memorial. The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto was among those who donated a wreath for this momentous occasion. The donors of wreaths were duly acknowledged during the live streaming by flashing their names on the screen during the wreath-laying. END