Not even a raging pandemic could stop Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 70 from honouring the Veterans on Remembrance Day Nov. 11.
At 11 a.m., the branch proceeded with a virtual Remembrance Day ceremony from the Legion hall, which was live streamed on YouTube. The service itself was familiar in format and included The Last Post as well as the reading of In Flanders Fields.
But it featured far fewer participants than usual. Normally, a veterans parade would begin outside the Legion hall, and the service would go on at John Paul II Collegiate in front of a large audience full of dignitaries and ordinary residents.
The most notable change in the program was that the laying of wreaths did not take place live; instead, those were laid at the Cenotaph.
Other Legions across the country have also scaled back or even cancelled Remembrance Day services for this year, due to gathering restrictions as well as the severe potentials impacts of COVID-19 to seniors in particular.
Screenshots by John Cairns.
