With masks and distancing, Canadians attend Remembrance ceremonies
CTV
Donning masks alongside poppies in the November chill, Canadians returned to cenotaphs and monuments across much of the country on Thursday to remember and pay their respects to those who fought and died in service of the country.
This year's Remembrance Day ceremonies stand in stark contrast to last year when organizers discouraged people from attending in person because of the second wave of COVID-19.
Since the country's founding, more than 2.3 million Canadians have served in uniform, and more than 120,000 have made the ultimate sacrifice. Gov. Gen. Mary May Simon noted that many of those who did come home were not the same people they were before.
May Simon, who wore the uniform of the Royal Canadian Air Force, attending her first Remembrance Day as the country's commander-in-chief, acknowledged the long history and sacrifice of Indigenous Peoples in uniform.
She noted that this year marked the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War and 15 years since the first Canadian woman died in combat, Capt. Nichola Goddard.