Montrealers pay tribute to war veterans at annual Remembrance Day ceremony

Detailed summary

Retired lieutenant-colonel Colin Robinson said Remembrance Day is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the dangers of war, particularly amid current global tensions.

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.

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.

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