OTTAWA — People are streaming through the downtown streets heading for the National War Memorial and the annual Remembrance Day ceremony.
Stooped veterans, serving members of the Forces and hundreds of ordinary Canadians lined the sidewalks around the towering granite and bronze memorial, with the crowd swelling by the minute.
Overcast skies and light rain did not deter the gathering.Gov. Gen. David Johnston and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the dignitaries who will attend the annual rite of remembrance.
Johnston said he is deeply grateful for the sacrifices made by veterans.
In a statement, Trudeau paid tribute to those who put their lives on the line for the country, saying they represent the very best of what it means to be Canadian.
The ceremony will include Sheila Anderson of Yellowknife, the Silver Cross mother representing all mothers who have lost children in military service.
Her son, Cpl. Jordan Anderson, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in July 2007.