National Remembrance Day ceremony marks 80th anniversary of Dieppe raid

This year's national Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa marks the first time since 2019 that veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members were able to gather in the nation's capital without pandemic restrictions to remember those who lost their lives in service of their country.

After a moment of silence, CF-18 Hornets flew over Parliament Hill to honour those who serve and have served Canada in the military.

Maj. Caleb Gray, currently serving in Latvia where Canada is helping to shore up Europe's eastern flank, told CBC News that he wanted to thank Canadians for marking the day and for paying respects to Canada's fallen soldiers.

"It really means a lot to the soldiers overseas, who are away from their families and as well to the families of the fallen," he said.

"There are a lot of soldiers who are not in uniform," he said. "We have the luxury, while we're still serving to have each other to cling to, and it's very important that Canadians gather around [because] those soldiers who are not around are often carrying a heavy cross."

Across the country crowds gathered at cenotaphs and monuments to mark the occasion. In Halifax, hundreds of people gathered at the Grand Parade to remember and honour those who have served in the Canadian military.

Glen Leduc, a 33-year-veteran who co-ordinated and emceed the ceremony, said it was great to have it open to the public again after two years of pandemic restrictions.

"It gives people the chance to gather together, to reflect upon the moment [and] to draw support from each other," Leduc said ahead of the ceremony.

In Toronto, Ontario Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell said Canada must "prove that we have actually learned the lessons of the past."

"Where there is disagreement may we spark dialogue, where there is division may we always strive to form unity," she said.

"We owe it to Canada's fallen heroes to do whatever it is within our power to uphold the values that they fought for, to bolster the foundations of our democracy that they lay down their lives to strengthen."

In Montreal, retired lieutenant-colonel Henry Hall was among those gathered at Place du Canada square. Hall was serving as part of a United Nations mission in the Middle East in 1974 when nine comrades died after their plane was shot down.

"It was a tough go," Hall said. "It was very difficult. One of the guys was a good friend of ours and I obviously miss him and I think about him all the time."

He added that he would also be thinking about his two grandfathers who served in the army in the First World War, and his father, who was in the navy in the Second World War.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left Thursday to attend a series of summits in Asia and Africa, but his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau attended in his place. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon was also in attendance at this year's ceremony in the company of National Silver Cross Mother Candy Greff.

Greff's son, Master Cpl. Byron Greff, was the last Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan. He was killed on Oct. 29, 2011, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-filled car near the armoured NATO bus in which he was travelling.

"I am honoured to represent those who know what it feels like to lose a child, the pain, the daily struggle, but you do it for your child," Greff said in a media statement.

Greff told the Royal Canadian Legion that she hopes that she can inspire young people to remember what many Canadian families lost in Afghanistan.

"I hope that more kids will come to realize the meaning of the ultimate sacrifice," she said.

Simon issued a statement encouraging Canadians to remember the service and sacrifice made by Canada's veterans.

"I urge young people in particular to take on the mantle of remembrance and to learn how the sacrifice of veterans has changed the world."

Simon said that Canada, despite being a small power, earned the respect of its allies and found its voice on the world stage thanks to the sacrifice of many brave Canadians.

"Time and again, our members in uniform have shown their courage and resilience. Our troops contributed to victories in two world wars — at Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele; Normandy and Dieppe — and in many other conflicts."

In a video message, Trudeau said now is a time to honour those who gave their lives so Canadians could live in "freedom, democracy, justice, security and peace."

"With selflessness, dedication and bravery, members of the Canadian Armed Forces and our veterans represent the values that we stand for as a country," he said.

Trudeau praised CAF members who helped in the wake of post-tropical storm Fiona and who are on deployment in eastern Europe, at sea in the Indo-Pacific and working to train Ukrainians defending their country from Russia.

"They do so while wearing the Maple Leaf and carrying on the tradition of the veterans before them," he said.

Watch: Second World War veteran remembers:

Vintage aircraft honour veterans

CAF Chaplain General Brig.-Gen. Guy Bélisle invited the crowd to reflect on the sacrifice veterans have made to protect Canada and to also consider the CAF members who continue to put their life at risk for their country.

"Every sacrifice is engraved in the cement of this country and must never be forgotten," he said. "May we all be inspired and full of admiration for all of those who gave us so much."

Rabbi Scher addressed the crowd saying those in attendance and across the country know what they lost and what they have sacrificed for their country.

"The most courageous of our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, partners, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, these heroic souls stood on guard sacrificing their lives, their bodies, their minds, every last bit of who they were," he said.

The ceremony in Ottawa also featured the anthem God Save the King for the first time since the death of Queen Elizabeth in September.

Watch: God Save The King performed at National War Memorial in Ottawa:

During God Save the King there was a special flypast of vintage military aircraft over Parliament Hill, with each aircraft painted to honour a Canadian veteran. The vintage planes that participated in the flypast include:

• A British Hawker Hurricane, which will honour Flying Officer William Lidstone McKnight, who served with the Royal Air Force No. 242 squadron.

• A Supermarine Spitfire Mk XII, which will be painted to honour Arnold Roseland, a Canadian pilot who flew 65 times with RCAF 442 squadron before being shot down and killed over Normandy in 1944.

Initially there were supposed to be three planes in the flypast, the third being the Mustang P-51, but it was pulled from the ceremony at the last minute. It was painted to honour Larry and Rocky Robillard, who flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force 422 Squadron during the Second World War.

Flying behind the two-plane fly-past was a High Flight Harvard single engine advanced trainer. This aircraft was used to train fighter pilots during the Second World War.

The High Flight Harvard is painted to honour Anglo-American pilot, John Gillespie Magee, who joined the RCAF and flew Spitfires before he was killed at the age of 19. Magee is also known as the poet who penned the poem High Flight.

"Each of these planes played a significant role supporting troops on the ground during the Second World War, including the ill-fated 1942 raid on the heavily defended French port [at Dieppe]," the Royal Canadian Legion said in a media statement.

Watch: Five veterans sat down to In Flanders Fields for Remembrance Day:

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe raid, a battle that claimed the lives of more than 900 Canadian soldiers. It's often described as the Canadian military's bloodiest day of the war.

To mark the anniversary, a glass case has been placed at the foot of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa containing a Red Ensign flag recovered from the beach at Dieppe in 1942 by an American soldier. It was kept by his family for decades before it was donated recently to the Royal Canadian Legion.

The flag was 70 years old when it appeared on the battlefield. No one knows for certain how it got to Dieppe.

While this year marks the 80th anniversary of Dieppe, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's Remembrance Day message notes that Canada is marking other famous anniversaries this year as well.

"This year marks the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I – both pivotal victories against enemies of freedom that were won with the courage and sacrifice of Canadian military heroes."

Poilievre said the freedom Canadians enjoy was bought with great sacrifice by "courageous men and women who answered the call to defend liberty and uphold peace and justice."

Watch: National War Memorial in Ottawa explained:

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement that veterans past and present, "men, women, Indigenous peoples, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community all proudly serve Canadians equally."

Echoing Trudeau's message that CAF members play an important role both domestically and internationally, Singh said Canada's military continues to do the country proud.

"They support others, whether they were called on to care for seniors living in long-term care homes during the worst of the pandemic, assisting families in Atlantic Canada with the devastating effects of hurricane Fiona and in British Columbia with floods or forest fires, or making invaluable contributions to help in global crises," he said.