Suspicious package delays Justin Trudeau’s arrival at Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa

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This article was published 11/11/2021 (1771 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — The first Remembrance Day ceremony in the nation’s capital since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was briefly overshadowed Thursday by the discovery of a suspicious package near the proceedings, delaying the arrival of top officials.

A spokesperson for the RCMP told the Star that the package was found in the vicinity of the ceremony, which was held at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa. RCMP officers deemed the package non-suspicious, and it was cleared minutes later.

The incident led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, arriving at the ceremony about 10 minutes later than planned — and only minutes before the Peace Tower bells rang out at 11 a.m.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who was marking her first Remembrance Day since her appointment to the viceregal post, was delayed by more than 10 minutes. Simon arrived after the bells tolled and near the end of the moment of silence, which is observed to honour those who have served and continue to serve in Canada’s military.

A statement from Veteran Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s office said the issue was “quickly resolved” ahead of the ceremony, and that the proceedings were able to continue after a brief delay.

Before the nature of the incident was known, both Trudeau and May Simon’s late arrivals drew criticism on social media.

While Thursday’s morning’s incident was found not to be an issue of concern, the location of the ceremony has been the site of tragedy in the past.

In 2014, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was gunned down while on sentry duty at the National War Memorial, the day Parliament Hill was attacked.

The attack led to increased security across the parliamentary precinct, including establishing a police presence at the monument to protect sentries guarding the site.

Raisa Patel is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @R_SPatel