What to wear to a Remembrance Day service in Toronto

Toronto's civic Remembrance Day ceremonies take place on Wednesday, November 11, with guests asked to arrive by 10:45 a.m. The City prints no dress code.

The custom is simple. Dress plainly and warmly, wear a poppy, and let nothing you wear draw the eye from the service.

Quick facts

• Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2026
• Old City Hall Cenotaph: 60 Queen St. W., arrive by 10:45 a.m.
• Fort York: 100 Garrison Rd., arrive by 10:40 a.m.
• Dress code: none printed by the City for its 8 ceremony locations
• The poppy: worn on the left side, over the heart, from October 24 until November 11
• November weather: a mean high of 8.1°C and a low of 2.3°C

What the City and the Legion print

The City lists its ceremony locations and arrive by times, and nothing about clothing. The guidance that exists comes from the Royal Canadian Legion, and it concerns the poppy.

"The Poppy should be worn with respect on the left side, over the heart."

The Legion asks that the poppy not be fixed with any pin that hides it. Some Branches offer a reusable black centre pin for the purpose.

The Legion also says how someone wears a poppy is an individual choice. Poppies are free, and the Legion accepts donations to the Poppy Fund.

Dark, plain and warm

There is no rule on colour, but dark and quiet clothes are the custom: black, navy, charcoal, brown. A plain coat over what you would wear to a funeral or a formal office day reads as respectful.

Leave logos, slogans and bright prints at home for the morning. Veterans, cadets and serving members attend in uniform, and civilians are there to stand beside them.

If you wear a hat for the cold, consider taking it off for the two minutes of silence. Keep phones silent and away.

Standing outdoors in November

Most of the City's ceremonies are outdoors, at cenotaphs and memorial gardens. November's normals give a mean high of 8.1°C and a low of 2.3°C, with precipitation on 13 days.

Arriving by 10:45 a.m. means standing still in the cold, which feels colder than walking. Wear a long coat, gloves, warm socks and shoes with a grip for wet stone or grass.

An umbrella blocks the view of the people behind you. A coat with a hood or a hat that sheds rain is kinder in a crowd.

The ceremony locations

Old City Hall Cenotaph is at 60 Queen St. W. The East York Civic Centre Memorial Gardens are at 850 Coxwell Ave., and York Cemetery is at 160 Beecroft Rd. The Scarborough War Memorial is at 2190 Kingston Rd.

Etobicoke Civic Centre Cenotaph is at 399 The West Mall and York Civic Centre Cenotaph at 2700 Eglinton Ave. W. Each asks guests to arrive by 10:45 a.m.

Fort York's ceremony, at the Strachan Avenue Military Burial Ground, asks for arrival by 10:40 a.m. The Toronto Zoo's Waterside Theatre opens at 9:45 am and needs a ticket from the Zoo.

If you need a coat

Any plain dark coat you already own is the right one. If you have none, Due West has a Solid Homme Double Layer Field Coat in black at $549, and Coor Pleated Leather Gloves in black at $185. More options sit in the winter coat guide.

After the service

The Legion notes that some people wear their poppy through the evening of November 11 and remove it when the day is over. Others place it on the cenotaph or on a wreath when the ceremony ends.

A removed poppy should be stored or disposed of respectfully. Organizations that wish to lay a wreath at a City cenotaph must register by Friday, October 23, 2026.

Common questions

What to wear to Remembrance Day service?

Plain, dark, warm clothes and a poppy on the left side, over the heart. The City prints no dress code, so the custom is a long coat, gloves and shoes for standing outdoors from 10:45 a.m.

What to wear to Remembrance Day ceremony?

The same as a service: dark, quiet clothes with no logos or slogans, a warm coat and a poppy. Veterans and serving members attend in uniform, and civilians dress plainly beside them.

Which side do you wear a poppy on?

The Legion asks that the poppy be worn on the left side, over the heart, during the Remembrance period from October 24 until November 11. It should not be fixed with a pin that hides it.

When do you take off your poppy?

The Legion says some people keep it on until the evening of November 11. Some place it on the cenotaph or a wreath when the ceremony ends, and either is respectful.

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