I am one of the lucky ones who is granted a day off work every November 11th, in honour of Remembrance Day. I hear a lot of grumbling about this "holiday" in the office, and it baffles me (e.g. "why can't they make it on a Friday so we can get a long weekend?) Clearly, some people have never learned the significance of November 11th.

Kids who learn about the sacrifices our country has made, and come to truly appreciate how our past has shaped our present and future, will be the ones who grow up and continue to remember. Schools hold their own ceremonies to honour our fallen soldiers and our veterans, but preschool age children can still take part in a service. We've been taking both our girls to Remembrance Day services since they were teeny babies!

So if you have the day off November 11th, check out the services offered around Ottawa:

National Ceremony

The largest ceremony of remembrance takes place downtown at the War Memorial. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m., but you'll want to arrive early to get a decent view. That said, they have jumbo screens for the broadcast, so likely won't miss anything.

Orleans Legion Branch 632

Orleans is home to a large veteran population (we just elected a veteran MP!), and this ceremony is the second largest in Ottawa. The CF-18 Fly-By will make an appearance in the east end, on its way downtown. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m., but get there early! Last year, parking was very limited, and we ended up parking at Trim Rd. and taking a free bus to the legion.

Canadian War Museum

If you want to avoid the crowds with young children, head to the War Museum to see the live broadcast of the National Ceremony. Broadcasts will be both in English (10 a.m. in Lebreton Gallery) or French (10:30 a.m. in the Barney Danson Theatre). Remembrance Day tours will be held all day, and the whole month of November is a fantastic time to visit the museum to learn more about Canada's military history

Beechwood Cemetery

This beautiful cemetery is the resting place for over 75,000 Canadians. Their ceremony will take place at the National Military Cemetery at 10:30 a.m.

Royal Canadian Legion South Carleton (Manotick Branch)

The Branch organizes Remembrance Ceremonies at the three Cenotaphs within its bounds. The largest ceremony is in Manotick on November 11th, Remembrance Day. The parade begins at the Manotick cenotaph at 10:30 a.m.

Have a service to add to this list? Email us at: kidsinthecapital@gmail.com