Remembrance Day across Ottawa is marked by the nationally broadcasted ceremony at The National War Memorial downtown, and simultaneously across the Ottawa community at local cenotaphs. Each year, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 480 hosts a Remembrance Day parade and wreath-laying ceremony at the Westboro Cenotaph, located near Golden Avenue on the Byron Tramway Linear Park. The parade begins at 1:30 p.m., proceeding west on Richmond Road from Churchill Avenue, and the wreath-laying ceremony commences at 2:00 p.m.
Prior to the traditional ceremony at 2pm, there will be a more informal and personal ceremony at the Westboro Cenotaph at 11 a.m. This ceremony that has been led by local Westboro military personnel since 2010, and aims to create a community space where personal memories and stories are shared from both families and military members, who experienced or contributed to supporting Canada’s past and present conflicts and contributions to international peace and security. Come share and hear stories of family sacrifice, parents’ making parachutes, liberation from Dutch immigrants, and which child is gonna take the bullet for Mom – a first hand recollection from a high anxiety causing reading of the Will….. on who should take Mom’s childhood “Battle of Britain 20 mm Luftwaffe souvenir, that nearly killed her as she disobeyed her parents and watched the dog fights over London.” See you there with your story of remembrance.
On Tuesday, November 11th, parking restrictions will be in effect as below:
Madison Av – both sides – between Winston and Churchill N – 11AM-3PM
Churchill Av N – both sides – between Madison and Richmond – 11AM-3PM
Richmond Road – both sides – between Churchill N and Broadview – 11AM-3PM
During the parade, Richmond Road will be closed from Churchill Ave to Broadview Ave. OC Transpo detours will be expected.
Throughout the month of November, community members are invited to stroll Richmond Road from Roosevelt Ave to Island Park Drive to view the installation of thirty Veteran Memorial Banners. Westboro Village is proud to support the local branch with the installation of the banners to honour these veterans.
Poppy Campaign
The Royal Canadian Legion and its branches provide lapel poppies for our fellow Canadians to wear in honour of those who sacrificed so much for our country. Getting and wearing a poppy is an enduring Canadian tradition. The Poppy Campaign runs until November 10th.
While the Westboro Legion distributes poppies freely to all who wish to wear one, all donations are gratefully accepted and are deposited in the Branch 480 Poppy Trust Fund. This bank account is separate from branch general funds and cannot be used for any purpose other than those stipulated. It is dedicated to helping veterans and their families, whether they are Legion members or not, as well as other organizations that also support them.
The donation boxes and trays are distributed upon request within the branch’s local boundaries, primarily to businesses and schools, in the days leading up to or shortly after the start of the Poppy Campaign. The branch is exceedingly grateful to those who make these symbols of Remembrance available at their locations and to all who donate the poppy boxes.
The campaign in the community ends on November 10th but poppies still will be available at the branch, 389-391 Richmond Rd. on November 11. Many of those attending the branch’s service and wreath-laying ceremony at the Westboro Cenotaph will remove their poppies when it ends and leave them there as a sign of their appreciation and respect.
