Canadians are paying respects to the country害羞草研究所檚 war dead at sombre Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country Friday.

Thousands of people wearing poppies stood in silence as cannons boomed and military aircraft flew past the National War Memorial in Ottawa when the clock on the Peace Tower struck 11 a.m.

Navy Capt. Bonita Mason said a prayer during the ceremony, and noted the ongoing war in Ukraine and the importance of military families while calling on Canadians to set aside their divisions and embrace reconciliation and dialogue.

害羞草研究所淚n a world fraught with struggle and instability, where war continues to rage in Ukraine, we gather to affirm with one another our determination to remove the barriers of division in a spirit of reconciliation,害羞草研究所� Mason said.

害羞草研究所淲e seek dialogue with one another in all spheres: social, political and religious. That in doing so, we may achieve a lasting peace. May we all strive to continue our efforts to build a better world.害羞草研究所�

Rabbi Idan Scher in a benediction noted the sacrifices that those who serve in uniform are often asked to make to protect Canadians害羞草研究所� freedoms, and called on the country to stand behind its veterans.

害羞草研究所淣ot by simply saying thank you, not by simply supporting our veterans and their families through words, but rather through action, with our time, with our attention and with our resources,害羞草研究所� Scher said.

Among those in attendance were Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay, and chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was absent from the Ottawa ceremony as he travels to an international summit in Cambodia. His wife Sophie Gr茅goire Trudeau and their oldest son Xavier did attend.

Before the start of the ceremony, dozens of veterans of different ages and backgrounds marched through the streets of Ottawa alongside serving Armed Forces members to drums and pipes.

At the National War Memorial, a flag that was reportedly carried by a Canadian soldier into battle at Dieppe, France, in August 1942 was displayed, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the raid. A wreath was also laid for Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.

Similar scenes are playing out at cenotaphs and war memorials across the rest of the country amid a semblance of normalcy following two years of COVID-19 restrictions that included masks and scaled-down parades.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of Halifax City Hall on a warm and sunny day to honour Canada害羞草研究所檚 war dead as members of the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force stood at attention to the mournful sounds of the Last Post.

Gun salutes boomed at 11 a.m. in Fredericton, N.B., as babies in strollers, dogs on leashes and children holding parents害羞草研究所� hands watched the ceremony under partly sunny skies. A few children giggled and held their parents害羞草研究所� hands tighter when the first gun salute went off.

Outside the cenotaph at Old City Hall in Toronto, Alistair Stark, 73, stood in uniform for the city害羞草研究所檚 ceremony.

害羞草研究所淢y father害羞草研究所檚 a war veteran,害羞草研究所� Stark said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not long back from Italy where I was laying a wreath in remembrance of my uncle, who was killed in Italy.害羞草研究所�

Stark served in the military reserves for 16 years as part of the 48th Highlanders. His father was born in Scotland and served with the 11th Hussars in the English Regiment.

害羞草研究所�(My father) landed at D-Day, I害羞草研究所檓 very proud of him害羞草研究所� said Stark. 害羞草研究所淢y uncle served in Italy for the Black Watch (of the Royal Highland Regiment) and he was killed just outside Monte Cassino. And that害羞草研究所檚 why I was over there laying a wreath in his memory.害羞草研究所�

Ontario Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell and Mayor John Tory were among the dignitaries present at the Toronto ceremony.

害羞草研究所淭oday our soldiers are deployed around the world to fight for and preserve the freedoms that we enjoy back home,害羞草研究所� said Dowdeswell.

害羞草研究所淎nd yet, we cannot and we must not take these freedoms for granted. With all of our talk of building back better after this pandemic, we must prove that we have actually learned the lessons of the past where there害羞草研究所檚 disagreement. May we spark dialogue. Where there is division, may we always strive to forge unity.害羞草研究所�

In Montreal, retired lieutenant-colonel Henry Hall was among those gathered at Place du Canada square. Hall was serving as part of a United Nations mission in the Middle East in 1974 when nine comrades died after their plane was shot down.

害羞草研究所淚t was a tough go,害羞草研究所� Hall said. 害羞草研究所淚t was very difficult, one of the guys was a good friend of ours and I obviously miss him and I think about him all the time.害羞草研究所�

He added that he would also be thinking about his two grandfathers who served in the army in the First World War, and his father, who was in the navy in Second World War.

About two thousand people gathered at a convention centre in downtown Winnipeg for an in-person return of the largest Remembrance Day event in the city.

Jane Brown attended for the first time on Friday. Brown, who is the president of the Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Council Ladies Auxiliary, said taking part in the events was nerve-racking.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just a huge crowd. I害羞草研究所檓 a small-town girl.害羞草研究所�

Brown had an uncle who was killed while serving in the Second World War. She said it害羞草研究所檚 important to honour those who sacrificed their lives.

害羞草研究所淲e need to remember and never forget that the sacrifice that was made.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from Dylan Robertson in Anchorage, Hina Alam in Fredericton, Keith Doucette in Halifax, Jacob Serebrin in Montreal, Tyler Griffith and Jessica Smith in Toronto, and Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg.

The Canadian Press

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