A number of ceremonies are being held in B.C. on Monday as veterans and communities gather to mark Remembrance Day.
The annual commemoration is held on Nov. 11 every year to honour armed forces members who died in service of their country.
“This sombre day is a reminder of the sacrifices of Canadians in two world wars and other conflicts around the globe. We also remember the price paid by their families,” Premier David Eby said in a news statement Monday
“Today, as we should every day, we remember the fallen who never came home. Lest we forget.”
The City of Vancouver started its annual ceremony at the city’s Victory Square at 10 a.m. PT.
This is the 100th time Remembrance Day has been commemorated in front of the cenotaph at Victory Square, which was erected in 1924 at the corner of Hastings and Cambie streets to honour those who died in the First World War.
The city’s official program for the event says processions are expected to close nearby streets before the event starts. There will also be a commemorative flyover by the Royal Canadian Air Force, if the weather permits.
Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, the Royal Canadian Legion’s Cloverdale Branch started an event and procession at 10 a.m. at Surrey’s Veterans Square.
In Victoria, the official provincial ceremony will be held at the Parliament Buildings, as usual. It is scheduled to start with a parade at 10:30 a.m. PT followed by a ceremony at the Victoria Cenotaph.
Other events will be held throughout B.C., with the legion maintaining a list of some of them on its website.
An Ipsos poll conducted in October for Historica Canada shows that many Canadians are unaware of their history ahead of Remembrance Day, with some veterans saying it’s more important than ever to remember veterans’ sacrifices.
The same poll suggests an increasing number of Canadians intend to attend Nov. 11 events, though, with 37 per cent of respondents saying they will do so, up from around a quarter pre-pandemic.