About a hundred people gathered under sunny skies in downtown Montreal on Wednesday for a Remembrance Day ceremony honouring Canada’s war veterans and those who died serving their country.
Retired lieutenant-colonel Colin Robinson, who attended the ceremony at Place du Canada, said Remembrance Day is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the dangers of war, particularly amid current global tensions.
“These things can spiral out of control relatively quickly,” he said, drawing parallels between the events leading up to the two world wars and the state of the world today.
“I think that sense of awareness will probably lead to us having less conflict and less war.”
A military parade was followed by the national anthem shortly before 11 a.m., with some in the crowd singing along as bells rang from nearby St. George’s Anglican Church.
A 21-gun salute echoed through the area, sending flocks of birds into the sky, as bagpipes played near the war memorial.
Organizers had warned that the blank rounds used during the salute could cause temporary hearing discomfort but posed no danger.
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Dignitaries and military representatives took turns laying wreaths at the foot of the monument, including Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who laid one on behalf of the city. Some offered military salutes while others bowed their heads.
One wreath honoured the four soldiers killed in a training accident at CFB Wainwright, Alta., last month, when a grass fire swept through a training area, injuring 39 others.
“Serving in the military is inherently risky. What happened in Wainwright last month is another reminder,” said retired lieutenant-colonel Colin Robinson.
Decorated with red poppies, a purple ribbon and autumn leaves, the wreaths gradually lined the base of the memorial.
During the ceremony, Col. Lisa Pacarynuk, chaplain general of the Canadian Armed Forces, spoke of lives cut short, families separated and the lasting physical and emotional wounds of war.
“Their experiences remind us that peace is precious, that freedom must never be taken for granted and that the consequences of conflict extend far beyond the battlefield,” she said.
Those attending were also asked to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., marking the moment fighting ended in the First World War on Nov. 11, 1918.
Robinson reflected on the passing of generations of veterans. When he joined his regiment in 1989, he recalled regularly meeting Second World War veterans.
“I think we kind of took it for granted,” he said. “You don’t realize that it’s going to go away.”
Also attending the ceremony, Pierre Saint-Louis, who served in the Canadian Navy and infantry before becoming a lawyer, had tears in his eyes as he explained what attending the Remembrance Day ceremony meant to him.
“It’s hard to explain; you just feel it, there are things you believe in,” he said.
He said remembrance should also mean supporting veterans who are still alive and the families of military personnel serving overseas.
A member of the Royal Canadian Legion, an organization that supports veterans and their families, Saint-Louis said he wants it to do more to help military families, particularly those whose loved ones are deployed overseas.
As the ceremony came to an end shortly before noon, some attendees removed the red poppies from their coats and left them at the foot of the monument.
Remembrance Day ceremonies took place across the country Wednesday to honour the men and women who served or died in uniform.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
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