Remembrance Day 2026: Dignitaries, public gather at National Cenotaph to honour veterans and war dead

Canadians across the country are gathering Wednesday to reflect on the legacy of war and remember the men and women who served and died defending this country.

Remembrance Day 'an act of vigilance and determination,' Carney says

Peter Zimonjic · CBC

· Posted: Nov 11, 2026 9:56 AM EST | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Listen to this article

Estimated 4 minutes

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

National Remembrance Day Ceremony

LIVE

Started 1 hour ago

Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault hosts special coverage of the National Remembrance Day Ceremony.

As Canadians gather across the country for Rememberance Day ceremonies on Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney wants Canadians to know that the act of remembering itself is "an act of vigilance and determination."

“Today, Canadians gather to honour the generations of women and men who answered the call. We remember those who spent years away from their loved ones, those who returned forever changed and those who never came home," Carney said in a statement.

"Our remembrance is more than an expression of gratitude. It is an act of vigilance and determination," he added. "And it is a promise: that what they defended, we will defend; that what they won, we will keep, forever cherish and pass on."

Carney and Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour will mark the event at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

"Remembrance connects us across generations. It 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," Arbour said in a statement.

Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan told CBC News at the National War Memorial Wednesday that Remembrance Day is an opportunity for Canadians to remind themselves "what it means to serve and that peace and security is never free."

• Analysis

  Canadians fought a war in Afghanistan. Why do we struggle to talk about it?

• Canadian family finds long-lost WW II baby in England after 80 years

This year's ceremonies are taking place just weeks after a tragic fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright claimed the lives of four soldiers and injured dozens of others during a training exercise.

"This year in the aftermath of the Wainwright tragedy it's a reminder of what service might mean and the immense sacrifice that our [Canadian Armed Forces] members do along with their families," Carignan said.

Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., were killed at the Alberta training base last month.

"With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours. We mourn their loss, stand with those recovering from their injuries and hold their families and fellow service members in our thoughts," Carney said in a statement.

A separate ceremony is taking place at CFB Wainwright. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to attend, along with other dignitaries, military members and veterans.

"Such moments remind us that behind every uniform is a human being: someone who serves with dedication, accepts risk on behalf of others and is supported by loved ones who share in the sacrifices that service often demands," Arbour said in her statement.

WATCH | Ottawa keeping CFB Wainwright victims, families 'close to our hearts' on Remembrance Day: minister:

Ottawa keeping CFB Wainwright victims, families 'close to our hearts' on Remembrance Day: minister

58 minutes ago|

Duration

1:56

Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight says she's had the opportunity to connect with a number of people impacted by the tragedy at CFB Wainwright, which left four people dead and 39 injured. 'For families who are dealing with the unimaginable, I think it's very difficult to say how they're coping,' the minister said.

Canadians are marking 25 years since the start of the Afghanistan war, a conflict in which 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served and 159 lost their lives.

The Afghanistan conflict, which lasted more than 12 years, was the longest in Canadian history and saw the largest deployment of Canadian troops since the Second World War.

Three Second World War veterans are expected to attend the ceremony in Ottawa and Carney, Arbour and other dignitaries will lay wreaths at the National War Memorial.

CF-18 fighter jets and a Black Hawk helicopter performed flypasts over the national ceremony, while Griffon, Chinook and Cormorant helicopters and other RCAF aircraft will conduct flyovers at local ceremonies across the country.

WATCH | Prime Minister Mark Carney's offical Remembrance Day video message:

This year's Silver Cross Mother, Virginia Hicks, will lay a wreath at the cenotaph in Ottawa on behalf of all mothers who lost a child who served in the military.

Hicks lost her daughter during a training incident at CFB Petawawa in 2002. She was chosen by the Royal Canadian Legion months before the Wainwright accident took place.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion — founded in 1926 to create one main advocacy group for veterans' benefits — and the 150th anniversary of the Royal Military College.

Some 300 cadets are expected to attend the parade to mark that anniversary, which is about 200 more cadets than usual.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News who reports for digital, radio and television. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, and in Canada for the Ottawa Citizen, Torstar and Sun Media. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Vintage.