Provincial leaders gathered at Queen's Park to pay their respects on Remembrance Day in a much smaller ceremony than usual, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony began with O Canada, followed by a flyover from planes from the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.

There was a moment of silence at two minutes to 11 a.m., which ended with a bugler playing Reveille, followed by bagpiping.

Ontario Lieutenant-governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell began her speech by paying respect to Indigenous stewards of the land.

"Let us also pay tribute to generations of Indigenous people who have stood on guard for this country," she said.

"It is a most worthy tradition each year to learn the lessons of history and recognize those remarkable and generous souls who defended us in times of war and conflict. It is a debt we can never fully repay."

Dowdeswell noted the "strange and uncertain circumstances" around the ceremony, as many who would normally attend in person instead must watch online.

"We are all vulnerable and must remain vigilant," she said, adding that members of the Canadian Armed Forces have served as inspiration for rebuilding, whether on the front lines or in long-term care homes. "Daily they demonstrate resilience as they continue to serve."

Premier Doug Ford followed, also noting the livestreamed ceremony.

"But those we honour are with us in spirit," he said.

"Today we wear a poppy, and we wear it proudly," he added. The government has recently been in a battle with Whole Foods over the company's now reversed decision to ban workers from wearing poppies.

Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald gave thanks to veterans who fought in Canada's wars, including the nearly 7,000 First Nations men and women who "bravely volunteered to serve and fight for a country that at that time didn't even consider them equals."

She continued: "In order to protect us, these warriors gave the ultimate sacrifice, as they were forced to give up their treaty rights in order to fight for Canada, only to return home to have their veteran benefits denied, which is a pain that is still felt by many First Nation veterans today. We will continue to be resilient and honour those individuals who sacrificed their rights that we could have ours."

Whitby air cadet Emily Simoes read "In Flanders Fields" in English, followed by Mimico air cadet Daria Quinn, who read the poem in French.

Brigadier-General Conrad Mialkowski, who MCed the event, noted that the groups who would normally lay wreaths in person instead sent them in advance, and those at the ceremony laid them, "so that, in some sense, they could be here with us today."

Before the ceremony, the government unveiled a monument to Canadian veterans and active service members who served in Afghanistan, as well as their families.

Ford, Dowdeswell, Archibald and Mialkowski were joined by Heritage Minister Lisa MacLeod and retired Major-General David Fraser to unveil the monument, located on the northwest side of the front lawn on the legislative grounds at Queen's Park.

"As premier, I made a promise to the people of Ontario to build this memorial as a permanent reminder of those Canadian heroes who served in the War in Afghanistan, and today on Remembrance Day, we keep that promise," Ford said. "We remember their sacrifice, we grieve with the loved ones of the fallen, and we thank them for their service to our province and to our country. God bless all our veterans, our active service members and their families."

The memorial includes a stone from an Inukshuk dedicated to the fallen that was erected by Canadian soldiers at Kandahar Airfield, Dowedswell said.

"Today, it's a reminder that we are all connected to a much larger world — one that depends on us, and one upon which we depend."

Leaders gather at Queen’s Park for Remembrance Day under ‘strange and uncertain circumstances’

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