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Remembrance Day ceremonies and events on Vancouver Island

Honour military veterans, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice, at ceremonies big, small and virtual on Nov. 11.
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Angus Stanfield, president of the Royal Canadian Legion, lays a wreath during a Remembrance Day ceremony at the B.C. legislature cenotaph in Victoria on Nov. 11, 2020. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST

Remembrance Day ceremonies

Victoria

The official Remembrance Day service for the province includes a ceremony will take place at the provincial cenotaph at the east corner of the grounds, at Belleville and Government streets. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 501 Belleville St.

CHEK News will air a live special starting at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be followed by the Naden Band Remembrance Day concert, which will also be livestreamed.

A ceremony is also being held at Ross Bay Cemetery, 1495 Fairfield Rd., at 11 a.m.

Oak Bay

Oak Bay is holding a smaller in-person Remembrance Day ceremony, with spectators encouraged to attend virtually by watching the livestream, although it is open to the public.

The ceremony begins at 10:55 a.m. at the Oak Bay Cenotaph, on a rock outcropping at Uplands Park, 2800 Beach Dr. Watch the livestream event at lumeraevents.com/oakbayremembers.

Saanich

While Saanich’s 2021 Remembrance Day ceremony is closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents can watch the event via Facebook Live. The live feed starts at 10:45 a.m. on Saanich’s Facebook page.

Esquimalt

Esquimalt residents are invited to join members of the Royal Canadian Navy, Cadets, Royal Canadian Legion, Scouts Canada and the Royal New Zealand Navy in a Remembrance Day parade and ceremony.

The event runs 10 a.m. to noon. The parade starts at the Tudor House, at Admirals and Esquimalt roads, and ends at the Esquimalt Cenotaph in Memorial Park, 1200 Esquimalt Rd.

Military members are also taking part in a ceremony at Esquimalt Veterans Cemetery, 1200 Colville Rd. at 9:30 a.m.

Central Saanich

Central Saanich will hold both a virtual and in-person ceremony this year. The ceremony will be held at Pioneer Park in Brentwood Bay, 1209 Clarke Rd. Those who attend are asked to keep space between groups. The live stream will begin at 10:50 a.m.

Sidney

The Sidney event will feature a “static” parade of veterans and military members standing in front of the cenotaph at Sidney Town Hall, with a service to begin at 10:45 a.m. and a CH-148 Cyclone performing a fly-past around 11:01 a.m. The event will be live-streamed. Sidney Avenue between Third and Fourth streets will be closed from 10 a.m. to noon.

Colwood

Royal Roads University is holding its annual Remembrance Day online ceremony. Join a livestream with the Vancouver Island Ex-Cadet Club. The broadcast begins at 10:30 a.m.

Langford

A ceremony will be held at Veterans Memorial Park beginning at 10:30 a.m. Masks are strongly recommended.

A ceremony is also being held at Goldstream Provincial Park, Finlayson Arm Road off Highway 1 at 9 a.m.

Metchosin

The Metchosin Remembrance Day Ceremony will be held at St. Mary’s cenotaph at 11 a.m., 4354 Metchosin Rd.

Sooke

A virtual ceremony will be held in Sooke. Visit the Sooke Legion Facebook page at 10:50 a.m. to watch a live feed of the ceremony.

Duncan

A ceremony will be held at 10:55 a.m. at the Duncan Cenotaph in Charles Hoey Park on Canada Avenue. Masks and social distancing are recommended. A livestream of the event will be available on Shaw Spotlight and at duncan.ca.

Ladysmith

A colour party will march from the legion to the cenotaph around 10:45 a.m. Those attending are encouraged to wear masks and practise physical distancing. 1st Avenue will be temporarily closed from High Street to Warren Street, 10:30 a.m. to noon, and the southbound lane of the Trans-Canada Highway will be closed.

Nanaimo

Watch the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 and Branch 256 Remembrance Day service live from the Dallas Square Cenotaph in Nanaimo starting at 10:30 a.m. on YouTube.

Lantzville

A Remembrance Day service will be held at 10:45 a.m. in Huddlestone Park, but there won’t be a parade. Spectators are welcome, but are asked to respect physical distancing.

Parksville/Qualicum Beach

There won’t be a parade in Parksville, but there will be a ceremony at the cenotaph, 100 Jensen Ave., at 10:45 a.m. Attendees are asked to practise social distancing.

Qualicum Beach will hold an outdoor ceremony at the legion cenotaph on Veterans Way, preceded by a parade from the Civic Centre. Masks are required.

Courtenay

A small ceremony will be held at 10:45 a.m. Spectators are encouraged to tune into a livestream on the Courtenay Legion’s Facebook page to maintain social distancing. A CFB Comox aircraft will conduct a flypast, dependent on weather conditions.

Other events

Remembrance Illuminated 2021. Christ Church Cathedral and the Canadian Scottish Regimental Museum are marking Remembrance Week 2021 with the third annual presentation of Remembrance Illuminated. An eight-minute repeating slide show will be projected onto the south tower of the cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave., from 7-9 p.m. nightly until Nov. 11. Unlike previous years, there will be no seating.

Royal Roads University annual Remembrance Day online ceremony. Join a livestream with the Vancouver Island Ex-Cadet Club. The broadcast begins at 10:30 a.m. and the ceremony will run from 10:40 to 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 11. Immediately following the ceremony, viewers will have an opportunity to view a screening of the documentary Remembering HMCS Athabaskan, a War Heritage Research Initiative film produced by Prof. Geoffrey Bird.

Remembrance Day Concert with the Greater Victoria Police Chorus. Nov. 11, 1 p.m. at the Pro Patria Legion, 411 Gorge Rd. East.

Remembrance Day Tours at Abkhazi Garden. Abkhazi Garden is hosting Remembrance Day tours for the first time on Nov. 11 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy a peaceful stroll through the garden and to take a tour. Tours are for smalls groups.