Remembrance Day is a day to reflect on the Canadians who sacrificed their lives serving the country in war
There are many ways Ontarians can pay their respects to fallen soldiers, veterans, and active soldiers, including but not limited to wearing a red poppy, observing two minutes of silence, or attending a service
In Toronto, there are several ceremonies starting at 10:45 a.m. on Friday morning
The City of Toronto is hosting its ceremony in front of Old City Hall with Mayor John Tory and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell set to speak at the event. Those who cannot attend in person can watch a livestream of the event online
The following streets surrounding Old City Hall will be closed starting at 10 a.m. to noon: Bay Street from Albert Street to Richmond Street West, Queen Street West from Yonge to York streets, James Street from Queen Street West to Albert, and the local access to Albert Street from Bay Street
Drivers will not be able to park in the area during that time, and TTC streetcars and buses will be redirected
There are also City-run Remembrance Day services at East York Civic Centre Memorial Gardens, Etobicoke Civic Centre Cenotaph, Fort York National Historic Site, Meridian Arts Centre, Scarborough War Memorial, and the York Civic Centre Cenotaph, at the same time
The Ontario government will also be hosting its annual ceremony outside of the Legislative Building
Northwest from the province’s ceremony, at Hart House’s Soldiers’ Tower, the University of Toronto will host its Service of Remembrance ceremony at 10:20 a.m. Anyone who wants to watch this particular service online will have to register in advance
The Toronto Zoo will host its annual Remembrance Day ceremony at its Waterside Theatre, starting at 10:55 a.m., but will be closing its doors 10 minutes earlier
Veterans, armed forces, emergency services, and TTC workers who arrive in uniform will receive free admission and parking that day. Everyone else who plans to attend the ceremony at the zoo will receive a 50 per cent discount on admission
Outside of the Remembrance Day ceremonies, the CN Tower be lit up in red that evening to commemorate the lives lost
The TTC also says it will pause its service for two minutes at 11 a.m. in honour of the soldiers who have fallen
Subway trains will be held at station platforms during that time, and buses and streetcars will stay in front of a stop beforehand and remain there during the stop-and-stay order. After, service and public announcements will resume
?WHAT IS CLOSED IN TORONTO ON FRIDAY
Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday for Ontario, so several businesses should still be up-and-running on Friday
However, most federal and provincial-run government offices, banks, and Canada Post will not be open on the national holiday
Alex Arsenych, CTV News Toronto Multi-Platform Writer
