For the first time since 2019, London marked Remembrance Day with a ceremony free from COVID-19 restrictions.
A large crowd gathered at the Cenotaph on Friday morning to honour those who served in our armed forces. While the sky was grey for the duration of the ceremony, the rain held off as veterans, active service members, cadets, and police paraded from the Delta Armouries on Dundas Street, turned north onto Wellington Street and continued to the Cenotaph.
The Remembrance Day service included a performance by the Salvation Army Jubilee Brass, a land acknowledgement, the playing of Last Post, and two minutes of silence. The laying of the wreaths followed a reading of the poem In Flanders Fields.
The 2022 service marked a return to normal of sorts following two years of altered services due to the pandemic. In 2020, COVID-19 restrictions meant only a couple dozen veterans and dignitaries could attend, while the public was asked to stay home and watch a live-stream of the service. Last year, spread of the virus kept the ceremony as an invitation-only affair.