Ottawa Remembrance Day ceremony

The Remembrance Day service in Ottawa brought tens of thousands of people together at the National War Memorial, just steps from where Hamilton reservist Corporal Nathan Cirillo was gunned down less than a month ago.

The John W Foote V.C. Armoury was where the community of Hamilton came together in the days following the death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo to mourn his loss. And in Ottawa Tuesday, he was top of mind during the Remembrance Day service.

The loss of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was also marked at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the sound of canon fire. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was among those who laid wreaths during the ceremony. The Princess Royal was on hand to officially re-dedicate the monument. It now bears the inscription “In Service to Canada” as well as the dates of the Afghanistan mission and the South African war.

The Princess Royal: “75-years ago, King George the 6th and Queen Elizabeth dedicated this National War Memorial in honour of all those who paid the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. Today, it is fitting that with this ceremony rededication, we pay tribute to all those Canadians who in the intervening years have laid down their lives in the service of peace, justice and freedom.”

Ottawa police tweeted they estimate about 50-thousand people attended today’s service in Ottawa. Normally that number is around 35-thousand.

While there was a very large security presence today in Ottawa, there were no security problems.