Communities across Windsor-Essex will pause on Friday to remember those who have served, as well as paid the ultimate price.
Friday is Remembrance Day, and all municipal offices across the region will be closed, with regular hours resuming Monday.
The traditional cenotaph service for the City of Windsor will take place in City Hall Square, with the official observance at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on YourTV, and streamed on the City of Windsor's official Facebook page. Complete information on the City's plans to honour those who served can be found on the City's official website.
The University of Windsor is also hosting a Remembrance Day event at 10:45 a.m. outside the main entrance of Memorial Hall, on the main campus. Readings, music, and a silent observance will take place.
The Town of Amherstburg will hold its annual parade and ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m. The parade route will begin at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 157 on Dalhousie, then go east on Murray, north on Sandwich, and west on Richmond to the Cenotaph.
Following the cenotaph ceremony, the parade returns to the Legion for dismissal. An afternoon and evening of refreshments and music will follow, with Pete Knealle playing from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner, then Final Chapter playing from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Town of Essex is having two events Friday.
In Essex Centre, a parade will begin at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 202, then move down Talbot Street to the cenotaph at Iler Avenue. Talbot Street will be closed to traffic between Cameron Avenue and Brien Avenue from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
In Harrow, there will be a ceremony near the corner of King Street and Queen Street. King Street between Victoria Street North and Mcaffee Street, and Mcaffee between King Street and Maple Avenue will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The Town of Kingsville will have its annual observance at 11 a.m. at the cenotaph on Division Street South. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 188 will open immediately after the ceremony with the public invited for hot soup, coffee, and hot chocolate.
The adjacent Kingsville Military Museum will be open for self-guided tours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry is with a donation.
The Municipality of Lakeshore is holding two Remembrance Day events.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 399 in Belle River will hold its cenotaph service on Belle River Road between Ouellette Street and St. Peter Street. In Comber, residents are invited to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 241 at 6420 Main Street.
Both services begin at 10:45 a.m. Attendees are asked to arrive 10 to 15 minutes beforehand.
The Town of LaSalle's ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the cenotaph at 5950 Malden Road.
Added to the program this year is a march with the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment. It steps off at 10:40 a.m. in the Zehrs parking lot and heads along Malden Road to Normandy Street, and into Cenotaph Park. A moment of silence, wreath-laying, and remarks from the prime ministers of Sandwich Secondary School and St. Thomas of Villanova High School. The Sandwich Secondary School band will also perform. The Town will live stream the event on its official YouTube channel.
The Municipality of Leamington will hold a march beginning at 10:40 a.m. from the Thrift on Mill to the cenotaph. Those attending the cenotaph ceremony are asked to arrive by 10:45 a.m.
Residents are invited to participate in the unveiling of a Fallen Firefighters' Memorial at 11 a.m. Saturday, outside the main Tecumseh fire station at 985 Lesperance Road.
Other events are taking place across the region, with a listing available on the official TWEPI website.