Newly installed Gov. Gen. Julie Payette attends national Remembrance service
Posted Nov 11, 2017 01:08:37 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – A crowd of hundreds gathered under a clear sky in the biting cold in Ottawa this morning for a Remembrance Day service at the National War Memorial.
Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, in her first Remembrance Day since becoming commander-in-chief of Canada’s armed forces, laid the first wreath at the event.
Canadians are pausing across the country _ and around the world _ to reflect on the sacrifices made in past and present conflicts.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not attend this year’s national service, instead taking part in a ceremony of remembrance in Vietnam, where he’s attending the APEC leaders summit.
He marked the day by reciting a poem and singing the national anthem alongside Canadian military personnel.
Later, Payette will host a luncheon in honour of this year’s national Silver Cross Mother, Diana Abel, who lost her son, Cpl. Michael David Abel, while serving in Somalia in 1993.