/ #memorials #remembrance day ottawa 

Remembrance Day 2020 in Ottawa: What's open and closed + how to watch the national ceremony

The National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa. Photo/Derek Mellon via the OttawaStart Flickr Pool.

On Remembrance Day, November 11, Canadians honour and remember our veterans, and all who served Canada during war, armed conflict and peace. In Ottawa, the annual National Ceremony at the downtown cenotaph will be live streamed, with members of the public encouraged to not attend in person. You can watch on TV or by tuning in on the Royal Canadian Legion’s Facebook page.

There will not be a march this year, but the Legion has arranged a very special flyby. Given 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, three heritage airplanes will be featured: a Douglas C-47, a Curtiss P-40 and a North American Harvard. The flyby will occur at 1,000 feet over the ceremony.

Remembrance Day - Open & Closed & Schedule Changes

  • Most retail businesses are required to close until 12:30 p.m. on November 11 each year to honour Canadian Veterans and those currently serving in the military. (For 24 hour businesses, they’re required to close from 8:00am until 12:30pm.)
  • Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday in Ontario, but it is a federal holiday. Federal government offices and City Hall will be closed on Monday. (Schools remain open.)
  • OC Transpo will operate a regular weekday schedule on November 11, with free service offered for all. You won’t need to tap your Presto card to get on the bus and fare gates will be left open at all O-Train stations.
  • STO will operate a special schedule on November 11.
  • On November 11, buses will pull over to the side of the road (where it is safe to do so) to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. The Last Post and Reveille will be played over the radios of OC Transpo buses. OC Transpo operators may also wear red on November 11 in support of Canadian Forces.
  • Garbage, green bin and recycling: Curbside green bin, recycling, garbage, and leaf and yard waste collection will take place on its regular day with no changes to the collection schedule. Multi-residential garbage and recycling container collection will take place on its regularly scheduled day with no changes. The Trail Road Landfill site will be open.
  • Parking: All city parking restrictions and regulations apply.
    • Veterans who wear their medals or uniforms or who have a veterans’ license plate on their vehicle can park for free at City Hall on Wednesday, November 11 between 6 am and 1 pm.
  • Recreation: Registered programs at swimming pools, community centres and arenas will be operating; however, clients should check with their facility to confirm, as some exceptions will apply.
  • For more info: Here is a press release from the city.

Originally posted in 2017