A Canadian first: 400 lights at Canadian veterans' graves in Toronto on the eve of Remembrance Day--a call to communities across the country

RCAF Foundation launches Lights of Remembrance to honour veterans and inspire similar tributes at cemeteries nationwide

TORONTO, Nov. 9, 2026 /CNW/ -- As dusk falls at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, solar-powered lights will illuminate the graves of more than 400 Canadian veterans, with a small Canadian flag beside each grave. Behind every light is a life of service--and a story worth remembering.

The RCAF Foundation invites media to the launch of Lights of Remembrance on Tuesday, November 10, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The first initiative of its kind in Canada, the tribute extends remembrance beyond a single day and offers a model the Foundation hopes other groups and cemeteries will adopt across the country.

A Canadian first: 400 lights at Canadian veterans’ graves in Toronto on the eve of Remembrance Day—a call to communities across the country

Students, partners, friends, families, serving and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces will gather as guardians of the light--and of the stories it keeps alive. As the lights illuminate more than 400 veterans' graves at dusk, those gathered will honour a shared responsibility: to remember those who served and carry their stories forward.

Beginning each year on November 8, Indigenous Veterans Day, and continuing through November 30, the solar-powered lights will glow at gravesites. The lights were installed from November 4–7 ahead of this year's inaugural display. November 10 marks this year's official launch.

The RCAF Foundation donated the lights and worked with the Mount Pleasant Group to bring the tribute to life. Its ambition reaches beyond Toronto: the Foundation will provide leadership and practical guidance to other groups and cemeteries establishing similar acts of remembrance in their communities.

"Each year, Remembrance Week provides Canadians with the opportunity to honour the past and thank Canadian Forces members for their service," said Jeremy Diamond, CEO of the RCAF Foundation. "With this initiative, we will highlight those whose stories are largely unknown to Canadians, and inspire cemeteries across Canada to do the same in the future."

This year's tribute carries particular poignancy following the deaths of four Canadian Armed Forces members at CFB Wainwright in Alberta on October 17. Their loss is a reminder that remembrance honours not only service in generations past, but also the sacrifices of those who serve today.

The invitation-only media launch takes place on the eve of the 16th annual RCAF Remembrance Day ceremony at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Media are also invited to attend that ceremony on Wednesday, November 11, at 10:30 a.m.

Media access and event details
What: Official media launch of Lights of Remembrance
When: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Where: Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mausoleum, Toronto
Access: Invitation-only; media RSVP required
RSVP: [email protected]
Photo, video and interview opportunities

• Capture 400 veterans' graves illuminated at dusk, with a small Canadian flag beside each grave.
• Photograph and film students, families, supporters, and serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces members gathered for the tribute.
• Interview Jeremy Diamond, CEO of the RCAF Foundation, and John Monahan, President and CEO of the Mount Pleasant Group.
• Learn how the Foundation will help other groups and cemeteries bring the initiative to their communities.

Additional media opportunity
16th annual RCAF Remembrance Day ceremony
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto

SOURCE RCAF Foundation

Media contact: Evan Schonfeldt, Outreach Coordinator, RCAF Foundation, [email protected], 705-642-6894