Most of the wreaths laid at Burlington's Cenotaph this Remembrance Day will go down the night before. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60, the local veterans' branch that holds the Cenotaph service, is asking wreath layers to come to the Cenotaph on Tuesday, Nov. 10, between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. To arrange a wreath, contact the branch by mail or in person as soon as possible. Only a limited number of wreaths will be placed during the Wednesday, Nov. 11 ceremony.
The Legion says it was asked to find ways to shorten the ceremony after the 2025 service, and the number of groups asking to lay wreaths has grown over the years, adding substantial time. The names of everyone who places a wreath on either day will still be read out on Wednesday.
The rest of the day keeps its familiar shape. The City of Burlington says the public is invited to services at Spencer Smith Park and Veteran Square, and the naval service and the procession start at the same times as last year.
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Tue., Nov. 10, 5:45 p.m. | Cadet vigil begins | Cenotaph, Veteran Square |
| Tue., Nov. 10, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Wreath laying | Cenotaph, Veteran Square |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 9 a.m. | Burl-Oak Naval Veterans service | Naval Ships Memorial Monument, Spencer Smith Park |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Procession route streets closed | Brant, Elgin and Ontario streets |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. | Procession | Central School to the Cenotaph |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 11 a.m. | Legion Branch 60 service | Cenotaph, Veteran Square |
| Wed., Nov. 11, noon | Cadet vigil ends | Cenotaph, Veteran Square |
The Burl-Oak Naval Veterans open the morning with a 30-minute service at the Naval Ships Memorial Monument in Spencer Smith Park, 1400 Lakeshore Rd.
Armoured personnel carriers are set to lead the procession from Central School on Baldwin Street down Brant Street, then along Elgin, Locust and Ontario streets to the Cenotaph in Veteran Square, 426 Brant St. Locust Street reopens once the procession passes; the other streets on the route are scheduled to stay closed until 1 p.m. Harvard aircraft, the vintage training planes, are scheduled to fly over.
The service at the Cenotaph runs 45 to 60 minutes. It includes a colour guard, two minutes of silence, music by members of the Burlington Teen Tour Band, a reading of In Flanders Fields and the laying of wreaths.
Cadets will stand watch at the Cenotaph through the night, from 5:45 p.m. Tuesday until noon Wednesday. Anyone who would rather stay indoors can watch the ceremony live at Legion Branch 60, 828 Legion Rd., or at the Burlington Seniors' Centre, 2285 New St.
