City service changes in honour of Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day

To mark this year’s Veterans’ Week, the City of Ottawa will offer special transit services to veterans from Thursday November 5 to Wednesday, November 11. The City will also commemorate Remembrance Day by flying flags at all City buildings at half-mast and by offering free downtown parking to veterans all day on November 11.

The City is proud to honour all the men and women who have served their country as members of the Canadian Armed Forces. ** Transit service ** War veterans who wear their medals and/or uniforms ride free on OC Transpo, Para Transpo and STO (Société de transport de l’Outaouais) services during Veterans’ Week. Companions accompanying veterans during Veterans’ Week also ride free of charge.

On Wednesday, November 11, OC Transpo and STO have adjustments and activities planned to commemorate Remembrance Day.

 * 
OC Transpo and Para Transpo 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 bus radios. Bus operators may also wear red on November 11 in support of Canadian Armed Forces troops.



 * 
OC Transpo will operate a regular schedule on Wednesday, November 11. Minor detours or delays may occur due to Remembrance Day parades and ceremonies downtown and in communities across the city. For OC Transpo information or travel planning, call
[
 613-741-4390
](tel:613-741-4390)
or visit
[
 octranspo.com
](http://www.octranspo.com/)
.Automated schedule information is available 24 hours a day by calling
[
 613‑560‑1000
](tel:613%E2%80%91560%E2%80%911000)
or texting 560560, plus the four-digit bus stop number.



 * 
OC Transpo Sales and Information Centres will be closed November 11, with the exception of the Rideau Centre, which will be open from 12:30 to 9 p.m. The Transit Information Centre
[
 (613-741-4390
](tel:%28613-741-4390)
) will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on November 11, but the Customer Relations Office
[
 (613-842-3600
](tel:%28613-842-3600)
) will be closed.



 * 
Para Transpo will begin booking for Remembrance Day on November 4. Regular bookings will not be cancelled automatically, so please call
[
 613-244-4636
](tel:613-244-4636)
to suspend a regular booking for November 11.



 * 
STO will operate a special service on November 11. Riders are invited to consult the User's Guide, visit Plani-Bus on the STO website at
[
 sto.ca
](http://sto.ca/)
or call
[
 819-770-3242
](tel:819-770-3242)
for more details. The INFOBUS system also provides the exact time that the next two buses are scheduled to arrive at a particular stop. Customers can dial 819­‑778 plus the bus stop number.

** Parking ** On November 11, vehicles with a veteran’s license plate will be allowed to park for free in the parking garage at City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West. Free parking will also be available for vehicles displaying veteran’s plates in the on-street paid areas around the National War Memorial, specifically on downtown streets bordered by and including Somerset Street to the south, Bank Street to the west, the Ottawa River to the north and the Rideau Canal to the east. All other on-street parking regulations continue to apply. ** Flags ** The Poppy Flag will be flown at City Hall and all Client Service Centres from November 5 to November 11 to commemorate Veterans’ Week.

In addition, the flags at all City of Ottawa sites will be lowered to half-mast from sunrise to sunset on November 11 to commemorate Remembrance Day, in honour of all Canadians who have served their country in time of war.