One of the country’s largest Remembrance Day Services is going virtual again for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual service held at SaskTel Centre will be a virtual presentation livestreamed on www.saskatoonremembers.ca and will be available on Shaw Spotlight channel 105.

Program Director, Malcolm Young says the decision was made to go virtual due to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan.

Increased ICU admissions, growing demands on the healthcare sector along with coordinating multiple groups who have their own protocols in place were among the reasons why the organizing committee elected against holding an in-person service.

Although there is no Remembrance Day ceremony at SaskTel Centre this morning, there is a special Open House ‘Walk-Through Memorial Display’ which is open to the public between noon and 5.

Banners are positioned around the concourse to respectfully represent hundreds of thousands of Canadian men and women who have served the country through times of war and peace.

The virtual program will consist of five segments including one on the 100th anniversary of the poppy.

The program will provide a history of the poppy and will show how funds raised through the Poppy Fund Campaign are distributed to support veterans initiatives along with other causes in the community.

While in-person Remembrance Day services are not taking place today in Saskatoon, you can check with your local legion because many are open to the public.

Nutana Legion in Saskatoon houses the Saskatoon Museum of Military Artifacts which is described as one of the city’s best kept secrets.

The Legion and the museum are open at 10 a.m. today (thurs). The museum is located on the lower floor, families are welcome and there are refreshments available at the Legion bar.