OTTAWA, Aug. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global pandemic has directly affected the execution of this year’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. However The Royal Canadian Legion is still planning for a much smaller yet heartfelt ceremony, which will include a maximum of 100 participants.
“The importance of a live ceremony honouring our Veterans and their sacrifices is considered paramount by the Legion, especially during the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War,” says Danny Martin, National Ceremony Director. “At a time when we have all been isolated for months by the pandemic, ensuring the symbolism of the Legion and community leaders paying homage to our Veterans is more important than ever.”
For the first time, spectators will be discouraged from attending in person, due to the limited space and requirement to physically distance. The smaller number of people participating will be required to remain 2m apart and will need to wear masks unless performing certain duties related to the ceremony.
Anticipated significant changes to this year’s commemoration include:
- No Veteran’s parade
- No Canadian Armed Forces parade
- A reduced colour party
- Wreaths pre-positioned such that no wreath bearers or assistants will be required
- No members of the Cadets or Junior Rangers present
Similarly-scaled back ceremonies will be organized by many Legion Branches across the country, to the best of their abilities given the current restrictions. Please contact your local Legion Branch for updated information as the weeks progress. The Legion’s National Headquarters will also continue to release national updates as more details become available.
The Legion will offer a Facebook Live presentation of the National Remembrance Day ceremony, and additional broadcast plans are under consideration.
About The Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S., Europe and Mexico. With close to 260,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.
Public Relations / Media Inquiries: 613-591-3335 ext. 241 or PublicRelations@Legion.ca
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