Remembrance Day Canada 2024

In 2024 Remembrance Day is Monday, November 11.

On remembrance day members of the armed forces (soldiers, sailors and airmen) are commemorated.

The other common name for this day is Armistice Day which marks the date and time when armies stopped fighting World War I. on November 11th at 11am in 1918 (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month). Some 100,000 Canadian soldiers died in the First and Second World Wars.

In Canada, Remembrance Day is a federal statutory holiday - with a notable exception of NS, NWT, ON and QC - as it is in many other countries in the world where this day is observed on the national level.

All government buildings fly the Canadian flag this day and people remember those who fought for Canada during a two minute silence at 11am. Many people wear poppies before and on Remembrance Day to show their respect and support for Canadian troops. Poppies are generally handed out free but often a voluntary donation is given in exchange.

In the United States this day is called Veteran's Day and is also observed on November 11.

Should Remembrance Day be a stat holiday in every province?

We continue to receive lots of messages from people all over the country who are outraged why Remembrance Day is not a stat holiday everywhere in Canada. Indeed, common sense (or sense of fairness, justice, or whatever the motivation is) dictates to make this a stat holiday in every province and territory - even in Ontario. But not everyone agrees.

Send us your thoughts about this issue in the comment area near the bottom of this page.

"Please DO NOT make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday in Ontario. Family Day is a much more appreciated break for families in the heart of the long cold depressing winter. Remembrance Day is better observered in a ceremony at your school, community centre or place of work.Jason

Could this be true? What would most people do with another day off work? Sleep in, watch TV, play video games or celebrate our war heroes? Compare to Thanksgiving Day when most people cook a turkey and drink lots of beer instead of being genuinely grateful about anything.

I asked my 8 year old: would you learn anything about remembrance day if you stayed at home or would you probably just watch movies and play with your little brother? Her answer was: "I would just play and watch movies. At school at least I don't forget to talk about why we should try and not go to war anymore. Well I can't forget because the teachers tell us all sorts of things and we have to listen."From a random dad

The comments at the bottom of this page overwhelmingly favour making this a stat holiday across Canada. Maybe it should be a stat holiday for adults and a mandatory school day for kids?

Bill C-597 aimed to make Remembrance Day a national legal holiday. It received a third reading but did not become law. Even if the bill had passed it would be up to the provinces to decide what days are statutory holidays. It's an often overlooked and little known fact that the Royal Canadian Legion does not endorse the bill out of concern that Canadians would not take time off to remember and would treat a day off as a holiday. They want the kids in school - so they can talk about it and learn about it - not sit at home and know nothing about it. It's about respecting the veterns and teaching about them not having a day off to do nothing.

Here's yet another note from a reader:

Remembrance Day should not be a legal holiday. The veterans did not want it to be one because everyone would just see it as a paid day off. I managed a motel for 20 years and one group of veterans came every year for a week and it was imporant to them that children learn about the war and the sacrifices the veterans made for our country. If it was just a paid day off soon no parades or gatherings or poppies would be held on November 11th.Alice E Marshall

If an organized observance was held at schools and workplaces people would be much more likely to spend time participating and keeping the importance of Remembrance Day top of mind, won't they?

Perhaphs we, as a nation, will never come to a consensus and agree that Remembrance Day should or should not be a holiday in every province but we should at the very least agree to the comments of a self-identified "Angry Canadian Preteen" who proposes that we spend more time preventing future atrocities and less time looking back: Let's use Remembrance Day as a reminder to all of us that for the remaining 364 days we need to focus our discussion and actions to ensure that future generations won't have to fight in wars at all.

P.S.: It seems disrespctful and outright greedy to stock shelves with Christmas gear before Remembrance Day. What do you think? When should stores start displaying Christmas decorations and gifts?

Share your holiday story, idea or comments

Send us your thoughts, comments and ideas about Remembrance Day in Canada. What should and should't be done on this day? How best to pay respect to current and past members of the armed forces?

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Recent comments
Posted by Laureen :

This shouldn’t even be a question. Those Veterans gave up their lives and limbs so that Canada could enjoy the Freedoms and Rights we have had until the Governments started to strip slowly away. Remeberance Day most definitely should be Stat and we should have Veterans Month, to honour them. We should also paint over all the rainbow crosswalks with Poppies to remind us everyday of what these brave, courageous Veterans gave up for us. Why does Canada give more honour to the LBGTQ community than our Veterans? That’s just not right!

Posted by Mike:

The only people who don't want to see Remembrance days as a national holiday are people who have never lost a loved one in a war. These people will not fight for anything that isn't something that directly benefits them.

Posted by Louise Brunelle:

I find it hard to believe that people would even debate this. Men went out to protect our country. Even if the forum was in Europe many went voluntary some by decree. Men are still out there putting their life on the line. Think of the what if. What if Hitler had succeeded, what if Russia decides to reach the US through Canada. What if ..... . We should honor these men. What if the naysayers have to put on a uniform. To this day soldiers are putting their life on the line to protect and defend. By what right do people have to minimize their sacrifice. The next time there is an emergency or a dictator decides to crush a free people to the dirt I say we send out the very people who wish to negate the soldiers who went out before.

Posted by Glen Hawco:

Hello I don't normally comment on to much but this has me pissed im considered a veteran and proud of it unfortunately I was at the strathroy ontario remembrance day ceremony there was a good turnout the people that were there were respectful and the organizers did a pretty good job unfortunately the canadian government federal and provincial couldent take the time to show up to place a reef for our fallen soldiers the same soldiers who gave there lives to allow us to have the life we have.I think the canadian government takes advantage of our veterans and only cares when it's convenient for them they should hang there heads in shame

Posted by Jonathan Barr:

In past years in BC if stores were open they would make an announcement at 11 o'clock that it was time for a moment of silence. But for Remembrance Day 2023 no announcement took place which is quite a disgrace as this is supposed to be a day where we remember those who fought and died in the service of freedom.

Posted by James R. MacDougall:

Absolutely NOT, Remembrance Day is not a day for celebrating as a paid holiday. Whe ever decided to entertain this notion? We are to take time to appreciate the ultimate sacrifice our parents, grand parents and great grandparents, along with current military personel, have made and are making to ensure we ae a free country. I believe that everyone should attend a Remembrance Day Service, stand tall and respect the fact that thousands of folks died to protect us, not take a day to relaxe, party or whatever. This is to be a solomn day to reflect on what our veterans had to do, had to see, and have to live with forever. It wasn't pretty or in any way celbretory, it was hell, it was war! My grandfather was as stretcher bearer in the First World War, he got to see his pals, friends and relatives, shot up, bleeding, screaming, crying, and sometimes missing body parts, while trying to get them fromt he battle field to safety, and yes, he saw many of them die before safety could be reached. Hell NO, nobody should want to celebrate this trauma.......we should be ashamed even entertaining the idea. What are the polititions thinking?? Idiots.

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