Crowds gather at cenotaphs in Ottawa and across eastern Ontario to mark Remembrance Day

Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.

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Despite a few sprinkles of rain, the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial saw approximately 35,000 people line up along Elgin and Wellington streets to pay their respects in the nation's capital, according to police.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon joined active military and veterans as well as this year's Silver Cross Mother Maureen Anderson from New Brunswick, whose two sons, Sgt. Ron Anderson and Sgt. Ryan Anderson, served in Afghanistan.

Anderson, whose sons both died after a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, laid a wreath at the foot of the National War Memorial, representing the mothers left behind by all service members killed in the line of duty.

"Throughout our history, the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have kept our country safe. Some returned home from the battlefield and were never the same. Others never returned at all," Trudeau said in a social media post before the start of the ceremony.

National Silver Cross Mother Maureen Anderson, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watch as veterans march off at the conclusion of the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

"It is a debt we can never repay, and one we will never forget."

The sound of the Last Post was heard in Ottawa and at cenotaphs across the country at 11 a.m., followed by a two-minute moment of silence to commemorate when the armistice went into effect on Nov. 11, 1918, ending the First World War.

A 93-year-old Korean War veteran was among those who stood for more than an hour watching the procession and was participating in Ottawa's Remembrance Day ceremonies for the first time.

• IN PICTURES: Remembrance Day in Ottawa

A special fly-past with Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 Hornet fighter jets and three vintage military aircrafts marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Armed Forces.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe attended a ceremony held at the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Orléans. 

Students at Cairine Wilson Secondary School learned the story of David Irwin, a young Navan man who was shot down and killed in France in 1943.

"I think we need to really stop and reflect on what that means, what it means to fight for our country and what we believe in." said Grade 12 student Mekhi Simpson- Falcao.

"It's a great opportunity to reflect upon, not only Canadian history, but also the sacrifices that so many people have made, not just our veterans, but the families of our veterans and the refugees who have unfortunately been displaced due to conflicts and war," said Grade 11 student Charlie Tweed.

At Beechwood Cemetery, the National Military Cemetery, military members and their families and friends marked Remembrance Day by paying tribute to those who died giving their lives to service.

Heather Scribner wipes away tears from her face while remembering the death of her late-husband David W Scribner who served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Corp of Royal Canadian Army Engineers ahead of a Remembrance Day commemorative event at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood cemetery in Ottawa, on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Spencer Colby/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

"There are many people here I served with in the Armed Forces. As a chaplain, I buried some of them here. So I feel a connection to them, their families and to the country," said retried Lt-Col. Donald Maclean.

"It's a kind of a special, solemn time."

Kathleen Code brought her late father's medals to the ceremony.

"To honour our father, to honour the memory of all his friends that he lost during the War and after, his service to his country and how much he loved Canada. And that was so important for him, even at a very young and tender age," Code said.

"My father was in Burma, which is not very talked about other than the ones in Europe," said Code's brother, retired Master Cpl. Michael John Brennan. "I was in the Navy first and I switched to the Air Force and I worked in the same squadrons he participated in the Second World War."

Amanda Cummings lost her grandfather about three years ago.

"We just always come here to remember him and all the others who sacrificed during the war time," Cummings said. "It's always very humbling to come here amongst everybody." 

In Brockville, hundreds gathered at the cenotaph on King Street to mark the day. 

The city has no shortage of families with relatives that served in the Canadian military in some capacity. Since last month, 221 banners have been hanging from the lampposts on King Street, each one honouring a veteran from the area.

Hundreds gathered in Brockville, Ont. on Remembrance Day (Jack Richardson/CTV News Ottawa)

Bob Pelletier's father spent parts of four years serving in Africa and Holland, and seeing the community come out to pay their respects every year is moving.

"It means a lot to me to attend services," he said.

"I really don't want it to be forgotten. We need to really remember."

The Veterans Affairs Department estimates the current Canadian war veteran population at 7,300 people -- 6,142 men and 1,158 women -- based on 2021 census data.

"In need" of Canadians to enlist

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, who was participating in the ceremony for the first time in her role, spoke to the importance of Remembrance Day and said there is a need for more Canadians to enlist with the Armed Forces.

"This is definitely very special to me, in terms of reminding ourselves of the service of many Canadians in defence of Canada," Carginan told CTV's Chief Anchor Omar Sachedina.

The Canadian Armed Forces says it is currently short about 16,500 personnel. Carignan says it "will take a bit of time" to recruit more members but has a timeline of five years to get staffing back to adequate levels.

"It is clear that we are definitely in need of Canadians coming to serve Canada. We have embarked on a transformational agenda, and we are on our way to recruiting more volunteers to serve Canada," Carignan said.

"As we increase the number of new capabilities, it will be important to recruit to our full compliment of people."

This story will be updated

With files from The Canadian Press, CTV News Ottawa's Katie Griffin, Katelyn Wilson, Jack Richardson and CTV National News