The 2020 Remembrance Day Services at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Branch 34 of the Royal Canadian Legion made the announcement on Tuesday in conjunction with OSMH.
“We’re disappointed but we know it’s the absolute right thing to do in light of the circumstances we are all facing,” said Rick Purcell, 1st Vice-President of the local Legion.
“Given the location of the service at the main entrance to the hospital, and our community’s steadfast admiration for those who served, there is no way we could have ensured that outdoor gathering limits could be safely maintained.”
In lieu of a live ceremony on November 11th, the local Legion has partnered with Rogers Cable to pre-record a Remembrance Day service at Veteran’s Park, outside Legion headquarters in Orillia, which will be re-broadcast on Remembrance Day.
Carmine Stumpo, OSMH President and CEO, says the hospital will be holding a facility-wide moment of silence at the time the services are typically held and is exploring additional methods of showing their support for those who served.
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