OTTAWA — Canadians turned out at war memorials across the country on Wednesday for Remembrance Day, with PM Mark Carney and the opposition leaders paying their respects to the men and women who served. The day also saw the loss of four Canadian soldiers in a training fire in Alberta last month.Carney and his wife attended the national ceremony at Ottawa's National War Memorial, where veterans, the military and the public came together to pay their respects to Canadians who gave their lives in service.The PM laid a wreath on behalf of the Government of Canada as ceremonies took place throughout the country to mark the 108th anniversary of the end of the First World War.In his Remembrance Day statement, Carney paid specific tribute to Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, who all died in a training fire at CFB Wainwright in October.The deaths have brought the risks to CAF members once again into the spotlight, even during training operations in Canada."In a world that is increasingly dangerous and divided, our rights and freedoms don't just sort of defend themselves," Carney said..“Our remembrance is more than just an expression of thanks. It is an act of vigilance and determination.”Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was at the Remembrance Day service at CFB Wainwright, the four soldiers having been killed just a few weeks prior.In a statement issued Wednesday, Poilievre also took a moment to reflect on the 25th anniversary of Canada's mission in Afghanistan, which began in 2001 following 9/11."This is the 25th anniversary of Canada's mission in Afghanistan," Poilievre said.He also spoke of the four soldiers who died at Wainwright and referred to that as a sobering reminder of the cost to the Canadian soldier and his family.Canada's mission in Afghanistan lasted well over a decade, and during that time 158 Canadian servicemen and women lost their lives..NDP Leader Avi Lewis also put out a Remembrance Day message, calling for more support for our veterans and for renewed efforts in the direction of international peace."This Remembrance Day we recommit ourselves to a Canada in which every veteran has a roof over their head, we honour the legacy of those who defeated fascism by standing up to hatred, and we recommit ourselves to the work of building a peaceful world," said Lewis on X.Lewis's statement was very much about veteran homelessness and the importance of not forgetting the fight against fascism in the Second World War.At the National War Memorial in Ottawa, the two minutes of silence were observed as normal at 11 a.m. (the hour the armistice came into effect on the 11th of November 1918).Ceremonies were also held at military bases, cenotaphs and community memorials throughout Canada, with veterans and families of the fallen attending wreath-laying ceremonies.The commemorations this year were of course against the background of the recent Wainwright tragedy, and all three of the federal leaders paid tribute to the four soldiers who had lost their lives.Remembrance Day has been a Canadian observance since 1919 in honour of those who served and died in war, in military conflicts and in peacekeeping operations.
