Toronto Marks Indigenous Veterans Day With Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square Today

The City of Toronto will hold an Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony today (Sunday, November 8) from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Spirit Garden at Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St. W.), honouring First Nations, Métis and Inuit veterans who served in wars and peacekeeping missions. Mayor Olivia Chow will proclaim November 8 Indigenous Veterans Day, and the Toronto Sign will be lit in the four colours of the Medicine Wheel — red, white, yellow and black. (Cover photo is a file photo of Toronto City Hall.)

Sacred Fire and Sharing Circle honour those who served

According to the city, the ceremony will remember fallen warriors in traditional ways: a Sacred Fire led by Young Spiritual Elder Noodjmowin, and a Sharing Circle in the Spirit Garden Teaching Lodge where participants can honour and learn about those who served. Everyone is invited to attend the Sacred Fire. Indigenous veterans served through the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, Afghanistan and peacekeeping missions around the world, and continue to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Veterans' Week leads to Remembrance Day on November 11

Today's ceremony is part of Toronto's Veterans' Week (November 5 to 11), which this year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion. The week culminates on Remembrance Day, November 11, with ceremonies at 10:45 a.m. at locations across the city, including the Old City Hall Cenotaph and the Scarborough War Memorial.