Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and members of the public place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following the Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, on Nov. 11, 2026. The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle
Thousands of Canadians gathered at the National War Memorial in Ottawa for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, where Prime Minister Mark Carney and Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour laid wreaths to honour Canada’s fallen military members.
Carney said in a
Nov. 11 statementthat Canadians were gathering across the country to honour “the generations of women and men who answered the call” to defend Canada.
“We remember those who spent years away from their loved ones, those who returned forever changed, and those who never came home,” he said.
Carney said Canada’s rights and freedoms do not defend themselves, but are “earned every single day.” He described remembrance as an act of vigilance and determination, as well as a promise to defend and preserve the freedoms secured by previous generations.
Arbour
said in astatement that Remembrance Day is a “reminder of the terrible human cost of war and of our responsibility to uphold peace, human dignity and the rule of law, especially in the context of armed conflict.”
She said that behind every uniform is a human being who serves with dedication, accepts risks to protect others, and is supported by loved ones who share in the sacrifices that military service often demands.
“As we remember those who served before us and those we have recently lost, may we honour their legacy by renewing our commitment to a more peaceful world,” she said.
This year’s Remembrance Day comes less than a month after a fire during a training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta killed four soldiers and injured 39 others.
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Carney said Canadians would remember Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark, while standing with those still recovering from their injuries.
A separate Remembrance Day ceremony took place at CFB Wainwright, which Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the area’s MP, attended along with veterans and other dignitaries.
In a statement, Poilievre said Canadians were mourning the four soldiers, while also praying for those recovering and the “families whose lives have been forever changed.”
“Their sacrifice reminds us of the extraordinary risks our men and women in uniform accept, even in times of peace,” Poilievre said.
People gather for a ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, 2026. The Epoch Times/Matthew Horwood
This year’s Remembrance Day marks three anniversaries: 25 years since Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan began, the centennial of the Royal Canadian Legion, and the 150th anniversary of the Royal Military College.
Three World War II veterans, veterans of the Afghanistan mission, and representatives from all branches of the Canadian Armed Forces attended the ceremony in downtown Ottawa.
Following a 21-gun salute, CF-18 fighter jets and a Black Hawk helicopter flew over the ceremony.
Virginia Hicks,
this year’sNational Silver Cross Mother, laid a wreath on behalf of Canadian mothers who have lost a son or daughter in military service. Hicks lost her daughter, Sapper Mariebeth Short, in a training accident at CFB Petawawa in 2002.
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