Lord Elgin Hotel & Canada’s Military
The Lord Elgin Hotel holds a special place in Canada’s military history, with a longstanding connection to the brave men and women who have served our country. Overlooking the National War Memorial, we are reminded each day of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of freedom and democracy.
Since opening its doors, the hotel has welcomed thousands of serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and veterans visiting Ottawa for military duties, commemorative events, and opportunities to honour fallen comrades. We are proud to have hosted many highly decorated veterans over the years as they returned to the capital to pay tribute to those who served alongside them and to continue their journeys to historic battlefields overseas, where Canadians fought alongside their allies in the cause of freedom.
It is a privilege to be part of this enduring legacy of service, remembrance, and sacrifice. We remain deeply honoured to welcome those who have served Canada and to help preserve the memory of those who gave their lives for our country.
The Lord Elgin welcomes all active military and veterans to stay with us over the dates of November 7 and 15
at a special rate starting from $139 plus taxes.
The National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa
Each year on November 11, the Royal Canadian Legion hosts the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa to commemorate the men and women who have served in Canada’s military. The ceremony starts at approximately 10:30a.m. with the arrival of dignitaries such as the Prime Minister, the Governor General of Canada, and the Silver Cross Mother – a woman whose child has died while serving in the military. Additional programming includes the national anthem, two minutes of silence, a wreath-laying ceremony, and a fly-past (weather permitting).
Watch the Ceremony on TV or online
Ceremony Program Schedule
Ceremony starts at approximately 10:30 am.
– Veterans’ March
– Arrival of Dignitaries
– O Canada
– Last Post
– First Gun
– (11:00 am) Two Minutes of Silence
– Second Gun
– Lament
– Rouse
– Act of Remembrance
– 21 Gun Salute
– Prayers
– Placing of Wreaths
– Benediction
– God Save the King
– March-off
– Dignitaries depart and ceremony concludes
All Canadian Veterans are invited to participate as a member of the Veterans’ Marching Contingent, as part of the National Remembrance Day Ceremony and parade.
- The Veterans’ Contingent is under the command of Chief Petty Officer 1st class (ret’d) Jake McDavid.
- Veterans will form up at 10:10 a.m. in front of the Chateau Laurier, located at 1 Rideau Street, with step off at 10:30 a.m.
- The ceremony concludes with a Veterans’ march-past at 11:30 a.m.
- Veterans to wear civilian dress with medals. Standard parade protocol is in effect.
Our restaurant FortyOne will be open for lunch on November 11th
Statue of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
Located next to the National Artillery Memorial, just east of Parliament Hill, the Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae Statue honours the man behind the famous WWI poem In Flanders Fields. The sculpture done by Ruth Abernethy portrays McCrae on a broken tree branch, looking up just after he signs his name on what would become a very famous poem. The statue marks the hundredth anniversary of McCrae’s verses.
McCrae wrote the timeless lines to comfort himself after the burial of his close friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, a member of the Hull-based (now Gatineau, Québec) Zion Presbyterian Church who died at the Second Battle of Ypres on May 2, 1915. He was just 22-years-old.
Share your special Remembrance Day moments in Ottawa with #RemembranceDay and #MyOttawa.
The National War Memorial
The National War Memorial, also known as “The Response,” is a cenotaph symbolizing the sacrifice of all Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have served Canada in times of war in the cause of peace and freedom–past, present and future. The memorial is the site of the national Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 11.
The National War Memorial was first unveiled in 1939 to commemorate the response of Canadians in the First World War 1914-1918. Over the years, the memorial has come to symbolize the sacrifice of all Canadians who have served Canada in time of war and was rededicated to their honor.
In 1918 the armistice that ended World War I came into force, bringing to an end four years of hostilities that saw 60,000 Canadians die at sea, in the air, and on foreign soil. The war to end all wars ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. On that day each year, Canadians are asked to pause and remember the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and democracy.
Remembrance Day Resources & Events:
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (in Vimy, France)
- Royal Canadian Legion
- Canadian War Museum
- Canadian Normandy Memorial: Juno Beach Project
- WWII British Commonwealth Air Training Plan: CATP Air Museum (Brandon, MB)
Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
– John McCrae
