Ottawa and Canada are honoring Queen Elizabeth II with a national day of mourning, a memorial parade and a memorial service in the capital.
The federal government has declared 19 September a federal holiday and a national day of mourning for the Queen, with federal civil servants having the day off. The Ontario government said Monday is a provincial day of mourning, but not a provincial holiday.
Citizens gathered in downtown Ottawa for the memorial parade featuring members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Armed Forces.
The memorial parade, which followed the state funeral in London, left the Cartier Square Drill Hall, next to Ottawa City Hall, at 12:10 p.m. then west on Wellington Street to Christ Church Cathedral.
As a result of the parade, some streets in the downtown core will be closed to motor vehicle traffic throughout the day and no standing and no parking restrictions are in place.
Two mounted detachments of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a 100-strong Canadian Armed Forces honor guard, the CAF Main Band and 17 honorary veterans marched in the parade. A 96-gun salute – one salvo for each year of Her Majesty’s life – was fired during the memorial parade from LeBreton Flats.
The memorial service at Christ Church Cathedral started at 13.00. The invitation-only function was attended by 600 guests, including members of Parliament, dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps. Ottawa English poet laureate Albert Dumont, Algonquin spiritual advisor, opened the service.
“The queen is dead, and the land of the red maple, the sorrow of many citizens fills the skies, the tears and prayers of her admirers fly, like the geese of spring and autumn, they go to the queen mother, who waits to hold the daughter close to her in her arms, once more.”
Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson gave a speech, telling the story of first learning as a school child in Ottawa that Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI, had died and Canada now had a queen.
“We shakily sang God Save the Queen for the first time,” he recalls.
Clarkson, who would become the Queen’s representative in Canada, said Elizabeth II has been present for much of Canada’s history, including in 1982, when she came to Canada to sign the country’s new constitution.
“Canadians will always remember the queen who came to sign away for us what is rightfully ours: our human rights, our human freedom,” Clarkson said.
Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney also gave a speech during the ceremony, saying he developed a relationship with the Queen beyond that of head of state and head of government.
“She was extremely intelligent, a woman of impeccable judgment, decisive, witty – extremely witty – and kind,” he said.
The memorial service was to conclude with a flypast over Parliament Hill and Christ Church Cathedral by Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s, but the Flypast was canceled due to bad weather.
CLOSING OF ROADS
There will be road closures and no-parking/no-standing restrictions on downtown Ottawa streets today.
The following roads are closed from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm
Bay Street from Wellington Street to Queen Street Lyon Street from Wellington Street to Sparks Street Queen Street in the westbound lane from Lyon Street to Bay Street Queen Street from Bay Street to Bronson Avenue Elgin Street from Wellington Street to Queen Street Laurier Avenue West, off-ramp to Queen Elizabeth Drive will be closed at 9:00 AM.
The following roads are closed from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm
Wellington Street from Portage Bridge to Bank Street (Please note that Wellington Street from Bank Street to Elgin Street is closed to vehicular traffic) Kent Street from Wellington Street to Queen Street Bank Street from Wellington Street to Queen Street O’Connor Street from Wellington Street to Sparks Street Metcalfe Street from Wellington Street to Queen Street
The following streets have no parking restrictions from 6am to 11.59pm
Wellington Street from Portage Bridge to Elgin Street Elgin Street north from Laurier Avenue West to Queen Street Elgin Street south from Queen Street to Wellington Street Sparks Street from Bronson Avenue to Lyon Street Queen Street from Bronson Avenue to Lyon Street
Canadian Heritage has released a map of the route for the military parade in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. (Canadian Heritage/Twitter)
OC TRANSPO
OC Transpo halted all bus and O-Train service for 96 seconds at 1 p.m. to observe a moment of silence. Buses stopped on the side of the road if it was safe to do so and O-Trains were held at stations.
–With files from The Canadian Press.
