Every year Remembrance day is marked in solemn ceremonies at cenotaphs across Canada. Many thousands will also be watching the national ceremony from Ottawa.
The Royal Canadian Legion which distributed commemorative poppies notes that this year the demand has skyrocketed.
Last year the Legion distributed about 18 million poppies and collected $14.5 million in voluntary donations. The Legion uses that money to support various veterans charities for such things as purchasing wheelchairs, walkers, ramps and meals-on-wheels services.
This year Legion representatives say many branches are having trouble keeping up with demand, and they wonder if they might hit a record of 35 million, which is about the population of the country.
The demand this year is being attributed to a number of factors, but perhaps more than others were the two targetted killings of Canadian soldiers.
Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, was deliberately struck by a vehicle as he walked across a parking lot in St Jean sur Richelieu. The driver was later shot and killed by police at the edge of town following a chase.
In an extremely high profile second case, Cpl Nathan Cirillo was shot while standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The gunman in that case then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament where he was killed in a shootout.
In both cases the killers were recent converts to Islam and apparently claimed to be acting in revenge for Canadian military action against ISIL, although both men are also alleged to have had emotional problems.
Other reasons for heightened awareness are thought to be the winding down of Canadian operations in Afghanistan where many Canadian soldiers lost their lives, and the beginning of the Air force mission agains ISIL in the middle east.
However, because of those killings of Canadian soldiers, another aspect to Remembrance services this year will be a greatly heightened security presence. Police and military personnel, usually a discreet presence in the past, will be far more visible and numerous this year at Remembrance ceremonies in major cities across the country, This will be especially so for the huge crowds expected in Ottawa for the national ceremonies, where many officials will be in attendance as well.
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