Remembrance Day 2023: Canada's national ceremony honours veterans | FULL

oh yeah of on canans to honor thank and remember our welcome pres this morning to allow people from all regions of the country toor relatives and friends who have [Music] served [Music] [Music] [Music] sh okay that's [Music] f after try to grab that's that's something really I we [Music] yeah he watch a [Music] part thiser I say right about here [Music] [Music] yeah okay thank you thank you allow me I'll get it word [Music] mean they always more time one day and I got a call from the chief of Defense staff the vice actually at the time Admiral Murray he gets on the phone I'm looking for Frank lar that's me this is Larry Murray hey we have a guy in D his name is [Music] m [Music] and I can [Music] yeah you're going to come over there young know ladies and gentlemen in about half an hour the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion command will proudly present the national Remembrance Day ceremony on behalf of all Canadians on this day of reflection pause to honor thank and remember our fallen we welcome your presence this morning to allow people from allions of the country honor relatives and friends who have served Canada the legion has created a virtual wall of honor and [Music] Remembrance and loved ones it is a memorial tribute to those who have served but are no longer with us the wall of honor and Remembrance can also be viewed on the legion's website as we share this special tribute with people across the country [Laughter] [Music] [Music] for [Music] [Music] [Music] right f e [Music] we left right left right left right left out Ang D out [Music] down [Music] oh [Music] n [Music] oh [Music] [Music] e [Music] BL [Music] [Music] you [Music] they [Music] Cal [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] sh [Music] [Music] d H at in left shoulder dressing right dress you're going to come back [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Music] right huray attack [Music] go yeah you too officers fall in she [Music] theack sure e [Music] Aller [Music] [Music] right remember [Music] G [Music] Global News special presentation you are looking at the national War Memorial in Ottawa on this Saturday morning where the national Remembrance Day ceremony takes place each year that ceremony gets underway at 11:00 a.m. eastern less than half an hour from now that war memorial was unveiled in May of 1939 to Mark the sacrifice of those who fought in the first world war it was on the 11th Hour of the 11th day of the 11th month that the guns fell silent in that war and it's why we have this act of remembrance on November 11th every year today you can see a crisp Sunny morning in the nation's capital it's just above freezing there so a little bit chilly but at least no snow no rain on those uh Pipers as they make their way towards the uh National war memorial good morning I'm Donna frez and thanks for taking time out of your Saturday to join us Canadians will be remembering and honoring the people in their lives who served and sacrificed so we can live in peace and it's not just those who were involved in combat of course we also pay tribute to the countless military families who support and carry the burden of War as we wait for the dignitaries to arrive for the ceremony that it begins in about uh just over 25 minutes from now Mercedes Stevenson our Ottawa bureau chief is near the national war memorial this morning good morning Mercedes you know the weather I know you know well can play a role in all of this and how many people turn out how you have to dress uh what's it like there this morning uh well I have two layers of long underwear on that's uh usually how I monitor things for these sorts of events the turnout is quite good I'm looking around and uh you know it is chilly but by Remembrance Day standards we're pretty fortunate I've certainly been out here uh when it's been extremely cold or sleet or wet snow which is so difficult on those remaining elderly veterans from the second world war and and from the Korean War Donna so we've got a nice dry day the sun is peeking out from behind the clouds every so often H and it is a sea of people everywhere I look who have come out here to remember their own service to thank those who are Marching In the veterans parade for their service uh and to remember those who have made such incredible sacrifices for this country and for our freedom well Mercedes as you you say today is about remembering and sacrifice we know that doesn't end of course when service people come home from tours of Duty there's so much more awareness now about the need for Continuing Care both physical and mental and I know you've been speaking with some of the veterans who are frustrated about the continued long wait for some of those Services yeah it can be months and months and months and as you can imagine uh this is particularly complicated when someone's first getting out of the military because they're transitioning from having a doctor who looks after them all the time to now trying to find a civilian Doctor Who can help them with those claims and their medications and their needs um these are long long weight times that have been long wait times for as long as I've been a reporter on Parliament Hill uh and that has all been post Afghanistan so there are a lot of Young Veterans with very serious needs everything from post-traumatic stress disorder to traumatic brain injuries uh cancers increasingly becoming a concern for veterans who are now looking at toxic burn pits as the United States has they passed law down there uh to allow veterans to be compensated who develop cancer after service if they were exposed to those uh and as you can hear things are starting to get underway here uh but this is really an ongoing issue and and Donna also suicide continues to be a really serious issue in the veterans community something that veterans talk to me about all the time you will not meet a veteran who does not know somebody who has died by Suicide uh and I think it's something it's really important for us to continue to talk about because there's just such a tremendous effect on the family and those left behind and it's still something that that really is struggling to be addressed as we wait uh for the rest of the service to begin at 11 Mercedes I know you've had a chance to speak with the chief of the defense staff Wayne a who was there today I think he joined the cadets when he was 12 he's served ever since what is on his mind as he looks at the I guess the state of the world today and Canada's place in it well Donna that instability in the world and his concerns which you'll hear very bluntly about Canada's ability to respond here's my interview with Wayne a general a thank you so much for joining us today I I know that it is always a very special and and difficult day as well for members and Veterans who have served and of course you were in Afghanistan you know intimately the cost of War we ask you every year because I think it's such an insight into the the truth of soldiering that it's it's not about being a general today it's about being a soldier it's about service what are you thinking of today well Mercedes firstly thank you for having back again this year on our most important of of uh commemorative days um this is a day for reflection you reflecting on Wars past those who have fallen in the service of our country uh but on a personal level I think about all of those that I've served with that have fallen on operations in Wars um on on TR training uh here in Canada and so it's a deeply deeply personal day you I also reflect on what's happening around the world uh are thousands of people thousands of members of the Canadian Armed Forces that are deployed abroad In Harm's Way and the declining security situation in the world and just reflecting that to the history of our country uh the history of those Wars that on the Senate half behind us and it uh it's paused for some sign ific reflection last year we were talking about there being a land war in Europe and how remarkable that was this year we now have Israel's war against Hamas as well one wonders where will be next year a and as you look at this and try to plan for Canada's security situation what is your biggest concern as the chief of the defense staff Mercedes my biggest concern is not being ready not having the capabilities the uh the people the training the sustainment ready to respond to what is really an uncertain future and our hedge against that uncertainty is the military uh that can respond that can provide options to make sure that we are secure we are not insular here in this country uh if events around the world can directly impact our security again as the first world war showed as the second world war showed as the Korean War showed as Afghanistan showed we are not alone do you think we are ready we have much work to do I am very very concerned about our lack of our our Readiness State we have um much to do to get our Readiness back to where it needs to be somber words thank you for joining us today thank you for your service and we think of all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces and our veterans today thank you Mercedes a stark warning there Donna from the chief of the defense staff about Canada's preparedness as the Department of National Defense and the military are about to face significant cuts that the government is introducing and just as I throw back to you Donna I wanted to mention quickly a few of the numbers of our deployed so that we were remembering them today there are 2840 members of the military deployed right now 250 on operation impact in Iraq and Kuwait 980 on operation reassurance in ltia and other parts of Europe and as well 300 on operation Lumen that is the operation to prepare to evacuate Canadians from the Middle East all right Mercedes Stevens thank you there in the crowd uh near the national war memorial is also our chief political correspondent David aen good morning David good morning Donna good to be with you again for this day yeah lovely to have you and on a sunny day as well I know you've been talking to some of the people who have gathered there what are they telling you about why they wanted to be there wanted to be present for this service of remembrance well you know I thought we must might ask someone himself why he wanted to be here there are thousands here and again the weather for November in in Ottawa is just fantastic but Donna let me introduce you to EMT emt's 9 and he's from gatau across the river and this is his first time at this ceremony good morning EMT I wonder I was going to ask you why you think it's important for you to be here well I think it's good to be here to thank you to the people who sacrificed their lives for our country and certain people from different families and that have just sacrificed themselves well that's excellent and your dad dad's right here uh served in the artillery himself and that's pretty cool this is the Air Force Asia that emt's got on and EMT standing beside Bob from poris leair Manitoba Donna and Bob you taking a look around here you see a lot of young people like EMT and you've got your grandkids with you it's got to be great to see other Generations at these events it's fantastic to see that it's important too because we seeing that we know the tradition of remembering will continue and we'll be able to teach the younger ones what the importance is not only remembering but trying to keep peace that's great well thank you Bob for your service thank you emit thank you for your service and to others who served and uh Donna we'll send it back to you that's great David thank you so good to hear from people about continuing those those uh the generations and keeping the stories alive the main ceremony is at the national war memorial today but another one took place before we came on air it was held at the national Aboriginal veterans Monument it's not far from the senat in Ottawa and this ceremony honors the thousands of Inu mate and First Nations veterans who served in war and on peacekeeping missions what it means to me is that we're honoring all the First Nation veterans uh that had served throughout and serving members we we're just as equal to uh our counterparts we served with you know we bleed the same we sweat the same we eat the same and and so forth there's no skin color throughout the thing we are servicemen and women indigenous people weren't allowed to parade on uh Remembrance Day Services uh before I believe 1995 uh they weren't allowed in Legions up until about the' 70s um they all always been in a sense um forgotten or pushed aside uh so the fact that we are having this um fairly informal uh but traditional uh ceremony here in the nation's capital uh is significant uh for a lot of us uh attending the uh dis IND uh ceremony um we do this before we do the national um ceremony um just it's a opportune time to gather as many indigenous veterans and and current serving members um including members of the uh um Ain leadership opportunity year at the roal Military College um getting them all together with with some of our political leadership that that's here um getting them to meet um you know meet them as well and and the leadership being able to see that there's young members willing to still serve this country um of indigenous descent and U and wanting to uh um you know continue to serve uh you know to this great country and joining us like he does every November 11th is Dean Oliver oh apologies I'm just told we don't have Dean at this moment Dean was uh at that uh service earlier this morning we'll get to Dean in a moment let's go back to uh David aen who's out in the crowd there uh David it's it's the uh service at the national Aboriginal war memorial is such an important one and and the service of First Nations Inu and matey people over the decades is something that just doesn't get the kind of attention that it should get but you know what Donna we've been doing these Ceremonies for a few years and I see particular over the last few there has been an increasing attention on the contribution of indigenous people to our Canadian Armed Forces and that starts with the separate ceremony at the Aboriginal uh veterans Monument just uh a block away from the national more Memorial and as you we get started on the ceremony remember starts about 11 o'clock Eastern you're going to hear prayers in English of course prayers in French and you will also hear prayers in a jibway and I think that is a really nice way of recognizing again the contribution uh that indigenous veterans uh made um uh through the Canadian Armed Forces you know right from the beginning changed over the decades that's true David um when you look around the crowd there give us a sense of we were talking earlier about the different Generations are you continuing to see that are there younger and younger faces every year well that they are it's really great the is year because the weather's so nice there are people from all generations you heard Mercedes speak about the fact that you know most of our veterans now if they saw Service uh they saw it in uh Afghanistan and that brings a whole different kind of generation this year we're focusing on peacekeepers and you know we just heard I mean more than 100,000 Canadians served in various peacekeeping missions very first one was back in 1954 in Cambodia that was Canada's first peacekeeping mission of course we were War fighting in Korea in the 1950s um and and of course the world nowadays we heard General a reflecting on that with Mercedes we would love to get back to some peacekeeping missions but unfortunately the peace has to be won uh first wherever that might be in Ukraine or or the Middle East at this point in time yeah David um that was quite a a a sound uh sounding the alarm from the chief of the defense staff in that interview with Mercedes saying that his biggest concern right now is that Canadian Forces are not ready for what might be coming uh what did you make of that and yeah and that is something that you know Mercedes of course were blessed she's got some so many great contacts within the military both those serving now and and Veterans but this is something that I think the trudo government is going to have to reckon with they're ready to chop that budget by $500 million uh and the way they want to do it is just try it out of travel and conferences and they the the trudo government says it won't be out of operational spending but you know General Air is is just he's being asked to do so many things our our military men and women are being asked to do so many things both here in this country and overseas and you know uh there needs to be more kit uh more uh uh more people mostly uh to be able to do the jobs we're asking of them and that's part of Remembrance Day remembering what we're still asking of our military men and women all right David aen thank you we will come back to you David and just a quick programming note tonight our sister cable network the History Channel will Air its original docu series our war it will shine a light on the extraordinary contributions Canadians made during the first and second world wars at two-hour presentation pre premieres tonight at 9 Eastern and Pacific on the History Channel he was to missing believe let's go back to some of the images from the national war memorial now we're expecting uh the prime minister to be arriving shortly prime minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa this year for Remembrance Day there he is uh in his vehicle prime minister uh will be attending we're told by himself this year as he and his wife Sophie Greg White Trudeau have formally separated and that means she will no longer take part in official duties uh such as this one today we believe he is in that motorcade on his way there we're about uh 15 14 minutes away from the beginning of the ceremony at the national War Memorial in Ottawa and short shortly after the uh prime minister arrived the Silver Cross mother will drive up there to the war memorial she plays a role uh in every ceremony in Ottawa and this year the Silver Cross mother is Gloria Hooper she's a woman from St clode Manitoba her son sapper Christopher hulapeno was killed in 1996 during a NATO Le mission in Bosnia and she represents all the mothers who lost children in the service of their country there's prime minister Justin Trudeau just arriving being greeted by the head of the Royal Canadian Legion and as we watch that let's go to uh the story of this year's Silver Cross mother far Nasser had a chance to speak with her Gloria Hooper is a mother mourning not just a loss but a sense of possibilities her oldest son Chris jipen would have been 50 this month I'm just thinking I used to see those all the time all over the place all over the house peacekeeping patches memories of his missions and I finally made him take everything into the bedroom since Chris was a young boy military memorabilia covered Gloria's Manitoba home he wanted to join the Army as long as she can remember oh he was 16 and he joined a reservist at first After High School Chris went on to two peacekeeping missions Cyprus and Croatia he loved that he just loved it especially where they were kids then at 22 Chris was deployed to the Bosnian warfront as a combat engineer where he would organize a donation drive for children there cuz he said they didn't have clothes you must have been proud of them I wasn't cuz he was but it was just that he was young I didn't want him there so young and I thought well if he's there for a while he'll be back oh sure on July 4th 1996 on route to rescue a group of British soldiers stranded in a Minefield Chris was killed when his armored vehicle similar to this one crashed his casket landed in Canada 7 Days Later the day he was due to return home so instead of coming home home as a person he came home in a as a body and I know when they brought him and they said well you can't see him because he's too so just remember what he was like before the government of Manitoba named a lake in his honor I've never gone there yet but she does come here the seneta where her son's name sits just above the names of those lost in the first and second World War cuz he was the last one they ever put and sitting beside it a tiny toy soldier that took Gloria by surprise and back in time he always had those with him he just bring them with him y Gloria tells us she's now forgetting things she lives with dementia but loves to talk about Chris do the memories become more have they become more foggy is it hard no no not at all really yeah your memories of him or Crystal Clear yeah it's funny it's the power of a mother's love I know it's just unbelievable I would just love to be able to see him now she likes to think he can see her wearing her Silver Cross medal on Remembrance Day she'll be representing all military parents laying a wreath in Ottawa far Asser Global News St Claude Manitoba and there you can see the Silver Cross mother arriving uh at at the national war memorial ladies and gentlemen arriving now is Her Excellency the right honorable Mary Simon governor general of Canada that's walking up there um being me being greeted and uh as you could hear the governor general is Next To Arrive she's the last of the vice Regal delegation to arrive and Her Excellency the right honorable Mary May Simon is with her husband we're told on this uh Remembrance Day Whit Fraser as we wait for them to arrive let's uh go to Dean Oliver who is Museum Services director at no history Dean thanks so much for joining us this morning my pleasure can we talk a bit about the Silver Cross mother um who we we just saw arrive as we as we see now the governor general arriving tell us about the importance of the Silver Cross mother and and what that role represents well it's a critical role and uh worn I know with great honor but also quite heavily by those who um by those who lost a loved one in War uh this year silvercross mother has represented others uh who other parents more than 20 times uh in laying reads at the senat trabs across the country and they become the representative of all Canadian parents and families who've lost a loved one in service to the nation I can't imagine the emotions that must go through them every time they they do a performance an event like like this but uh it is it is incredible to watch and the uh the the heroism and courage of them in doing so is just incredible it is and hearing their stories I've interviewed several of them over the years we should say this is the governor general Mary Simon arriving she is of course the king's representative in Canada and is also commanderin-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces and today she is wearing the uniform of the Royal Canadian Navy and this is M Simon's thirdd National Remembrance Day she took call the role back in 2021 Dean this day oh I told we're going to go to thank you Dean we're going to come back to you in a little bit uh let's go to Mercedes Stevenson who's there near the national war memorial Mercedes this is about remembrance of course and reflecting casting our minds back but there are so many issues as we've talked about that veterans face today and that are on the plate of Canada's new veterans affairs minister you had a chance to speak with her not long ago what's her message to Veterans well her message is that she she wants to take care of them uh but there's not a lot of specifics as you'll hear Donna when we press on on what exactly the government is going to do to improve those weight times or to deal for example with burn pits uh these toxic burn pits that is becoming an increasing issue you'll hear her reference a study from the Gulf War there have been many studies since then that the department apparently hasn't looked at uh this goes to the frustration that so many veterans feel year after year where Veterans Affairs ministers make promises and no doubt have good intentions but it seems like sometimes those frustrations not just seems like those frustrations do continue take a listen to this interview with the minister Minister thank you so much for joining us today this of course is your first Remembrance Day as as the minister of Veterans Affairs an incredibly important job in this country to look after those uh who have served and who continue to serve and make sure that their needs are met and their families are supported when they are injured or when they make the ultimate sacrifice and and give their lives for this country what is your message to our veterans this Remembrance Day well first in foremost my message is thank you thank you for their service their courage their sacrifice I've had the privilege over the past week and a half to meet the best of the best Canadians uh this week I was at Sunnybrook hospital where we met a lot of veterans from the second world war Korean war that are still with us and again we just uh they've shared their stories and it's very important as Canadians that we thank them for their sacrifice we get the freedoms that we have have today because of the work that they do day in and day out and for that we are very grateful there are a lot of Young Veterans now um we sadly have very few veterans from the second world war left but those Young Veterans will have a lifetime of of needs and demands in front of them everything from traumatic brain injuries to post-traumatic stress disorder uh to now as we're hearing more and more about burn pits toxic exposure uh to huge pits of Refuge that were burned in Afghanistan uh and Iraq and and that have made many soldiers sick accg to the United States government who has changed their policy I'm curious to know as you prioritized looking after these vets for the decades to come how quickly you think you can make progress on speeding up weight times and addressing some of these concerns your question is very valid and we certainly recognize that services at Veterans Affairs have to evolve to meet the needs of our Modern Day veterans to your point we certainly have a lot of modern day veterans we have approximately 82 me 8,200 members from the Canadian Armed Forces that are retiring every year so again we have to make sure that when it comes to services to deal with PTSD or any other type of Health uh physical health or mental health challenges that they have that we are prepared for that more than that as well though we also have to take care of the baby borners uh that are now getting older as well and that are looking at long-term care services so those are the types of conversations that we continue to have uh but for myself uh as the minister of Veterans Affairs we certainly want to to be listening to Veterans and again we have to evolve uh with the times and we have to make sure that our services are meeting Minister are you looking at all at addressing the burn pit issue here in Canada these toxic burn pits that some veterans believe are giving cancer and and that in the United States Veterans Affairs now recognizes as service related cancer so with respect to the burn pit issues um during the Gulf War uh there was uh a study that was done with respect to the burn pits during that War uh and the information that I was given was that there was no correlation between but I have to say uh we are always looking at every individual case uh at Veterans Affairs and again we assess them accordingly we want to make sure that we are responsive to our veterans they've been there for us and we have to be there for them in their time of need yeah and I do know that the the recent studies out of the US indicate there likely is um a correlation there so I'm sure that your department will continue to look into that thank you so much for joining us today Minister thank you Donna I guess we'll see if they do actually pull up those studies from the United States which are much more recent than the Gulf War all right Mercedes Stevenson thanks so much we're about 4 minutes away from the beginning from the top of the clock the 11th Hour um Eastern and the formal ceremony will then begin at the national war memorial we're going to be quiet as that unfolds so first you'll hear the autal Children's Choir and the central band of the Canadian Armed Forces perform O Canada then the trumpeter will perform the last post let's listen in our home and [Applause] [Applause] [Music] true [Music] [Music] glor of can we stand on God [Applause] [Music] oh we stand of God [Music] for [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] PA [Music] 1 for for what [Music] and this is the lament performed by warrant officer Joshua [Music] McFarland [Music] you [Music] [Music] what [Music] [Music] [Music] great [Music] [Music] you [Music] more [Music] and this is the trumpeter's Rouse performed by Master Corporal James [Music] langage we were expecting a fly pass now that's normally when it happens and it was supposed to be cf8 hornets from CFB bagotville in Quebec um but we were told just before coming on air that that's not going to happen this morning um so now the reciting of the act of remembrance age shall not we them nor the ears condemn at the going down of the Sun and in the morning we will remember them grow not old as we that are left grow old age shall not weary them nor the years condemned at the going down of the Sun and in the morning we will remember [Music] them G Quin manani G Quin manani as the Ottawa children's choir sings In Flanders Fields the wreath laying will begin led by the governor general ladies and Gentlemen please be seated M parade Stand Down e as We Gather in this place of sacred memory may these words I share now before for some theay of our of your heart for harders a reflection of your heartfelt Thanksgiving and for H make this word speak to our duty to remember [Music] oh today is a time to remember to remind ourselves of the past to bring the past to life today is the time to remember that life in Canada as we know it is not a given it is the fruit of the strugles and the sacrifices let us remember those who answered the call to battle and who never came home let us remember those were wounded and who bear scars on their bodies their memories and their soul may this Gathering today bring them peace and healing let us remember those families berried by the loss of a loved one let us remember with gratitude the thousands of Canadians who decide it today voluntarily to serve Canada before themselves let us remember that the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier represents thousands of Canadian faces and names May each name become an additional motivation to work for peace and to put an end to the conflicts and divisions that plague our world may our decisions and actions be imbued with courage and the values of peace and Hospitality that make true dialogue possible May our remembrance invite us to take action so as to choose diplomacy over violence and to choose to celebrate difference rather than exclusion lest we forget ladies and gentlemen the vice Regal party will now begin placing their wreaths gent Vice party will now commence placing their wath F the blow between the cross that and the the singing amid the guns the guns below [Music] short days ago we Liv [Music] out and now we in iners [Music] take up [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] our [Music] break [Music] us [Music] [Applause] [Music] the beautiful voices of the Ottawa Children's Choir singing In Flanders Fields it's always impossible not to be moved hearing those Young Voices sing that song um let's go back to Dean Oliver who's in Ottawa as well Dean with the organization no history Dean there are every year we do this there's a different event to commemorate another Milestone to Mark and and this year it's 80 years ago that the world was in a very precarious place the second world war of course and German and Italian forces were defending Italy the mission to drive them out was a real turning point in the second world war can you talk to us about what role Canadian soldiers played in that 80 years ago yes thank you for the the question they played a major role uh we know mostly about the role on land but also at Sea and in the air and it was part of the Great campaign of the Allies to try to clear the Mediterranean of axis forces began really in July in Earnest in Sicily two months of very hard fighting with thousands of Canadians and an infantry division and an armored Brigade many died just getting there about 60 Canadians died after torpedo attack in the Mediterranean and then that was followed by the long slog up the length of the Italian Peninsula only ending in in early 1945 and That Knocking Italy out of the war which happened fairly early we thought might shorten the war's length but of course the Germans took over Italy fought to defend every Mountain Pass every river line and in very early 1945 uh Canadians were still fighting there before they were eventually moved out of Northern Italy and that entire core went to Northwest Europe and then and participated in the liberation of the Netherlands you know I think the scale of the second world war is very hard for people alive today to comprehend who don't have that that memory perhaps from family members because so many of Second World War veterans of course are not longer with us the numbers alone are staggering more than 1 million Canadians served in the second world war more than 45,000 of them died another 55,000 were wounded it just had a devastating impact on families communities right across this country as in the case of the first world war it was roughly one in 10 of us who served in uniform uh our death toll was lower but our participation rate was tremendous and in the second world war somewhat on likee the first many many more were engaged in War Industry and the mobilization of resources and so literally every home every Community every Farm every business was impacted and the country was as the historians like me would say transformed by it the welfare state that we have the nature of our Industries and perhaps given events now Donna the nature of our take on International Security and our need to be present someplace else to protect it is a function of the second world war Dean as we continue to watch the wreaths being laid there at the national war memorial can you talk to us a little bit about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and just remind us the significance of that and and why it's there I can yes uh I was pleased to have done some TV commentary back in 2000 when the Unknown Soldier was repatriated uh and so it stands it as um a u a Centenary project of the Legion and Public Works Canada and others to bring back a a a set of um of remains that would stand forever for all Canada's Fallen the site chosen for it to be reinterred was at the base of the National monument at the Senate half and the soldier in there um is someone taken from the battlefields near vimi Ridge uh an unknown uh and by agreement with all the parties uh Medical Science will never be used to identify those remains so it will all the remains will always stand for all Canadians who fallen and I should add that uh in 2024 a similar project will unfold in New Finland in Labrador where an unknown soldier of uh of uh that of that Province will come back to their National Sena which is on duckart Street in St John's oh Dean thank you so much for that as we see veterans continue to lay waths at the national war memorial David Aken is there in the crowd David hi there I know you've been hearing from some veterans today what have they said yeah that's one of the great uh Joys if you will of of the ceremony every year this year is getting to talk to people about their experiences and we did speak to many uh earlier today who attend Ed the ceremony there's more to life than just yourself and you have to be part of a team teamwork is very important it's even important today after I've retired it's hard to explain it's uh it's people that I'm surprised at the crowds that we have regardless of the weather and people are here and they know why they're here and after the ceremony when they go up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and put their popps on it that's heart-rending they're doing it out of sinity and love and Remembrance has been a a habit with the family for years and and um in my particular case I think it has to do with the uh with the uh people that we left in in Korea do you think about them often yeah it's almost overwhelming uh you know I had been here like before Afghanistan and and things were really lowkey and uh certainly during the Afghanistan years um the public really got behind the Canadian military and uh and and it's overwhelming and I still I'm at a loss for words still when people come up and say thank you for your service because you know my first 25 years in the Army no one ever said that to me and uh yeah it's it's overwhelming to see the public support and and their appreciation and you know Donna we heard there of course of people who served in Afghanistan in Korea and as you're watching some of these wreaths being played wreaths it's hard to say in the cold around the national war memorial there are wreaths there from some in the Diplomatic Corp here in in Ottawa of course the embassies of other countries are here and that's very important because that is a recognition by the representatives of the governments from Europe from Asia elsewhere of Canadian sacrifice overseas there are cemeteries I've been at one for a remembered State ceremony in Hong Kong saan C Cemetery where kids from Winnipeg ended up fighting the Japanese in the second world war cemeteries certainly in Korea and all throughout Europe so that's an important component that the Diplomatic Corp ambassadors are here to honor the sacrifice and service of Canadian men and women and on the flip side if you look around the world today uh say in Korea in Soul at the national war memorial there you will see Canadian Representatives at those Remembrance Day ceremonies it's just as important to remind us that Canadian men and women often far from home in very dangerous places uh fighting and trying to defend Freedom that is a good reminder David aen thank you I think there are 91 uh wreaths being laid at the national war memorial there in Ottawa and of course U ceremonies taking place across this country in City cities and towns at senat halfs people remembering um in their own deeply personal ways we're going to wrap up our coverage in about 10 minutes from now as this service uh in Ottawa carries on but before we do that I want to go back to Dean Oliver from the organization no history Dean you are an historian your life's work is bringing to life the stories of past generations and everyone today is thinking about someone in particular who who are you thinking of today oh I was thinking about several thank you for asking Donna perhaps mostly I was thinking about two people that I knew from the Italian campaign Smokey Smith our last living VC who I had the pleasure to know and also Ani T who had taken over the Vanos after the morrow River Battle or at the moro River Battle just south of ortona but I was also thinking about my late friend General Paul Manson uh who was a great Canadian and an Air Force Commander and a chief of Defense staff and also afterwards talk about the impact of military service on life he helped build the war museum where I was pleased to work for for many many many years and Paul passed away earlier this year there are many others of course but but those three were were top of mine for me today well Dean thank you for mentioning those names we do appreciate it and as always thank you for joining us on this Remembrance Day that's Dean Oliver from no history now some final thoughts from our Ottawa bureau chief Mercedes Stevenson Mercedes you know as I was listening to the prayers one line really stuck out to me that is that a it's time to remember that life in Canada as we know it is not a given and I think those who have fought and died in wars those families who have family members who fought and died know that almost viscerally but it's something we do need to be reminded of each November 11th it it is and and I'm thinking this year about three families in particular the family of Peter Duff who was a jtf2 assaulter uh who had served in all kinds of Highly secretive National Security missions he lost his life to Suicide uh back in the spring I'm also thinking about Mark larouche and about Dave dag gala's families uh the two captains who crashed in the shnook in the summer and passed away the impact on these families even when their loved ones don't die in war and we've not lost anyone in combat this year thankfully are profoundly impacted and it really affects the community morale right now in the Canadian Armed Forces is struggling it's struggling in light of the lack of Kit in light of the lack of direction from the government with the news of the funding cuts that are coming in the state of the world and these are people who put their life on the line not just when they go to war but in training which is also very dangerous when they come home and they come home and live with those wounds which can ultimately take their life years after they leave the battlefield uh and this is you know a very high operational Temple for some folks for example the Canadian Special Operations forces you rarely see them this year they are both in command of uh the Sentry program here at the national war memorial as well as at Beachwood the National military ceremony and you see them standing guard uh their Tempo is incredible they're all over the world all of the time uh and we have Canadians who are serving this country so that we can have our peace our freedom and when we look around the world right now and we look even at What's Happening Here in Canada the warnings from Britain that they're could be a terrorist attack here um I really think it's a moment to stop and think about those who serve and about the tremendous sacrifices that they make not only while they're serving uh but continue to and the sacrifices of their families and that is what this day is all about Mercedes Stevenson in Ottawa thank you so much as the wreaths continue to be laid there they will be coming to a close shortly and then the benediction will begin if if you're watching on television we're going to leave you and let you listen into that benediction as it takes place in Ottawa the ceremony there will continue for a while longer and you can keep watching online at globalnews.ca and on all of our streaming platforms for now I want to say thank you for joining us for taking time to pause to reflect and to remember and we will see you tonight for global national [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah for or should ween today we remember we remember those who answered when their country called those who fought and those who died for something greater than themselves from this very spot a little over a decade ago our departed friend and colleague Rabbi ruven bulka reminded us that when we look at our veterans we are looking at the very best of Canada they are our true heroes they were ready to make the selfless Supreme sacrifice of of their very lives to stand up to Terror to tyranny to unjust violations of human beings and their basic human rights they stood up to unjust aggression and fought for the innocent set in no Vo Serv BL physique trais bless [Music] moral AOC at this s and before this tomb of an unknown Fallen Canadian Soldier we remember that Unthinkable numbers of our fellow Canadians did pay the ultimate price of their very lives they sacrificed their hopes and dreams their loved ones their whole Futures they sacrificed everything sacri we honor them best not simply by remembering their names or even by recalling their sacrifices but by remembering what they died for that their families and loved ones and grateful people throughout the world could live on in Freedom in a land where human dignity would be recognized and human rights protected where people of different backgrounds and histories would live and prosper together in mutual respect and social friendship that you and I could live lives in peace and security where governments would be moral accountable and responsible and everyone would be equal before the law where each person would enjoy religious liberty to live both privately and publicly according to their conscience and their deepest belief convictions about the very meaning and purpose of life to live in a land that is glorious and free in The Haunting poem in Flanders Fields written by the war surgeon and poet John McCrae the war dead bequeath these things to us the living as a torch to be held high here at this place before this hallowed tomb we honor the fallen and we renew our sacred trust to them we will not forget we will remember and we will not break faith we accept accept this Torch from their failing hands and will continue to guard and cherish the values and ideals that they laid down their lives for and for those of us of the household of faith we entrust them to the loving kindness and the tenderhearted mercy of God may they rest in Eternal peace amen God keep our land glorious and free ladies and gentlemen God Sav the king with the Ottawa Children's Choir May [Music] atten [Applause] glor glor [Music] GL for ladies and gentlemen thank you for your attendance at the national Remembrance Day ceremony today as a Grateful Nation we stand in Collective remembrance of all who have fallen in the military service of Canada may we [Music] never we'll continue on this way Excell Terry good [Music] morning thank you [Music] for [Music] good morning next year an Air Force uniform next 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Channel: Global News

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Keywords: global news, global news live, remembrance day, remembrance day 2023, canada, canada news, war veterans, canadian war heros, canadian war veterans, war vets, remembrance day ottawa, ottawa remembrance day ceremony, ottawa remembrance day, november 11, poppies, canadian armed forces

Id: QrleeC9RwOo

Length: 140min 55sec (8455 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 11 2023