Here are some of the Remembrance Day ceremonies taking place in person or virtually across Greater Victoria on Nov. 11.
Langford
The Royal Canadian Legion Prince Edward Branch 91 will once again be hosting a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Langford (at the corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Goldstream Avenue).
The ceremony gets underway at 10:30 a.m. and everyone in attendance is asked to wear masks to help keep veterans, seniors and other community members safe.
Following the service, the Langford branch will be open for refreshments (full vaccination and picture ID are required for entry).
Colwood
Royal Roads University is holding the annual Remembrance Day ceremony online this year. Join via livestream at vimeo.com/event/1434847, as the Vancouver Island Ex-Cadet Club honours veterans and those who died in conflict in the service of Canada.
The broadcast begins at 10:30 a.m. and the ceremony will run from 10:40 to 11:45 a.m.
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 RRU professor Geoffrey Bird. The documentary explores the links between two educational institutions in Colwood, a Second World War destroyer, and communities in Brittany, France.
Metchosin
The Metchosin Remembrance Day Ceremony will once again take place on Happy Valley Road at Rocky Point Road.
The parade musters behind the fire hall at 10:30 a.m., leaving at 10:45 a.m. and arrives at St. Mary’s cenotaph at 10:55. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and the parade will reassemble on Metchosin Road for the march back at 11:30.
Metchosin Road at Wootten Road and Happy Valley Road at William Head Road will be closed to traffic during the march and service, except for emergency vehicles.
No refreshments will be served this year.
READ MORE: Remembrance Day
Sidney
The Nov. 11 parade will take place in front of Sidney’s Cenotaph on Sidney Avenue in front of municipal hall, with the service itself starting at 10:45 a.m. leading up to two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.
This year’s ceremony will include a standard wreath-laying in the front of the cenotaph along with other familiar rites while the parade will feature about 100 participants subject to COVID-19 protocols.
The Royal Canadian Legion Saanich Peninsula Branch 37 is encouraging people to participate in the parade by following the livestream, available on the Mary Winspear Centre’s website.
Central Saanich
The Central Saanich Remembrance Day service will be both a virtual and in-person ceremony this year.
Taking place at Pioneer Park in Brentwood Bay, 1209 Clarke Rd., a flyover at 10:45 a.m. will precede the ceremony, which gets underway at 10:50 a.m. The livestream also begins at that time and is available for viewing at centralsaanich.ca.
Saanich
Saanich’s 2021 Remembrance Day ceremony is closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, there’s still an opportunity to watch the event via Facebook.
There will be a limited number of wreaths presented, but otherwise, the ceremony will be similar to previous years. Visit Saanich’s Facebook page at facebook.com/Saanich.BC at 10:45 a.m. to watch a live feed of the ceremony.
Victoria
While it traditionally takes place with hundreds, if not thousands in attendance at the legislature cenotaph at 501 Belleville St., this year’s event will be similar to last year. A limited in-person ceremony will take place at 10:50 a.m. with the public encouraged to watch the proceedings online.
Oak Bay
The Oak Bay Remembrance Day service starts at 10:55 a.m.
The ceremony will happen live at the cenotaph on Beach Drive near Cattle Point and will be modified to meet local health guidelines. While the ceremony is open to the public, spectators are encouraged to attend virtually by watching the livestreamed ceremony at lumeraevents.com/oakbayremembers.
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