Posts Tagged ‘Warriors’ Day Parade’

Warrior’s Day Parade 2014

78th Regiment Flagman

78th Regiment Flagman

Warrior's Day Parade - WWI Mounted Re-enactors

Warrior’s Day Parade – WWI Mounted Re-enactors

Warrior's Day Parade - WWI Infantry Re-enactors

Warrior’s Day Parade – WWI Infantry Re-enactors

Warrior's Day Parade - WWI Honour Guard by Flags

Warrior’s Day Parade – WWI Honour Guard by Flags

Warrior's Day Parade - WWI Re-enactor with Carrier Pigeons

Warrior’s Day Parade – WWI Re-enactor with Carrier Pigeons

Waving WWII Veteran

Waving WWII Veteran

Waves and Smiles from Inside a WWI Truck

Waves and Smiles from Inside a WWI Truck

Warrior's Day Council Members

Warrior’s Day Council Members

Veterans in an MG

Veterans in an MG

Toronto Signals Corp Trumpeters

Toronto Signals Corp Trumpeters

Toronto Police Pipe Band Sgt Major

Toronto Police Pipe Band Sgt Major

Toronto Police Horse Mounted Officer

Toronto Police Horse Mounted Officer

Thumb's-up from Govenor General's Widow

Thumb’s-up from Govenor General’s Widow

Three Recent Veterans

Three Recent Veterans

South Korean Veterans

South Korean Veterans

Royal Canadian Navy Man with Ceremonial Sword

Royal Canadian Navy Man with Ceremonial Sword

R.O.C. Veterans

R.O.C. Veterans

Queen's Rangers Sgt Major and Bagpiper

Queen’s Rangers Sgt Major and Bagpiper

Placard-carrying Veteran

Placard-carrying Veteran

Parade Announcer and Saluting Kid

Parade Announcer and Saluting Kid

Marching Tuba Player

Marching Tuba Player

Major Roy Eddy Taking a Picture

Major Roy Eddy Taking a Picture

Lots of Flags

Lots of Flags

Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget

Initial Band (Played National Anthem)

Initial Band (Played National Anthem)

Horse Guard

Horse Guard

Green Beret Veterans

Green Beret Veterans

Ghanaian UN Veterans

Ghanaian UN Veterans

Firefighter Veterans (Bill Stanfield)

Firefighter Veterans (Bill Stanfield)

Female Veteran on Scooter

Female Veteran on Scooter

EMS Sgt Major

EMS Sgt Major

Doug Phillip

Doug Phillip

Canadian Parachute Regiment Veterans

Canadian Parachute Regiment Veterans

Canadian Armour Veteran in a Heavy Chevy

Canadian Armour Veteran in a Heavy Chevy

Big Military Truck

Big Military Truck

Elderly Bagpiper

Elderly Bagpiper

American Vietnam Veterans

American Vietnam Veterans

American Legion Veterans

American Legion Veterans

413 Wing Bagpipers

413 Wing Bagpipers

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Warrior’s Day Parade at the C.N.E. 2013

Some preliminary shots from the Warrior’s Day Parade earlier today at the C.N.E. (More to come as I get the chance to process them).

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: J. Levin-Turner and John Speirs

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Master of Ceremonies J. Levin-Turner and John Speirs

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Sopwith Strutter and S.E.5

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: WWI Sopwith Strutter and S.E.5

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Cpl H Hodgson Playing Opening Bagpipe Tune

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Cpl H Hodgson Playing Opening Bagpipe Tune

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Minister of Veterans Affairs Julian Fantino and Brigadier-General Omer Lavoie

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Minister of Veterans Affairs Julian Fantino and Brigadier-General Omer Lavoie

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: 1950s UN Jeep

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: 1950s UN Jeep

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Alan Roy Beside WWII Veteran Jim Eddy

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Alan Roy Beside WWII Veteran Jim Eddy

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Canadian Troops (260)

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Canadian Troops (260)

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Colour Parade

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Colour Parade

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Drummers (102)

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Drummers (102)

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Eyes Right!

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Eyes Right!

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: First Nations 1812 Warrior

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: First Nations 1812 Warrior

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Heavy Truck

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Heavy Truck

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Provost on Vintage Triumph Motorcycle

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Provost on Vintage Triumph Motorcycle

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Queen's Rangers Sgt. Major

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Queen’s Rangers Sgt. Major

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Veteran Standing Up in Jeep

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Veteran Standing Up in Jeep

Warrior's Day Parade 2013: Veterans in a Jeep

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013: Veterans in a Jeep

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Bagpipers from Emergency Services

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Bagpipers from Emergency Services

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Commissionaire with Ceremonial Sword

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Commissionaire with Ceremonial Sword

August 17, 2013 - Warrior's Day Parade 2013-413th Wing

August 17, 2013 – Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-413th Wing

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Royal Regiment

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Royal Regiment

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Bagpipers

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Bagpipers

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Royal Canadian Navy Veteran with Sword

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Royal Canadian Navy Veteran with Sword

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-UN Veterans

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-UN Veterans

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-UN Veterans in a Jeep

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-UN Veterans in a Jeep

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Highland Creek Sgt Major

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Highland Creek Sgt Major

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Toronto Firefighter Military Veterans

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Toronto Firefighter Military Veterans

Warrior's Day Parade 2013-Toronto Police Military Veterans

Warrior’s Day Parade 2013-Toronto Police Military Veterans

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Warrior’s Day Parade at the C.N.E. 2012

Went down to the Canadian National Exhibition (C.N.E.) this morning with my daughter Vanessa in order primarily to show off the venue to my visiting cousin-in-law Carla from Germany.

In previous years I have deliberately gone to the C.N.E. in order to shoot the Warrior’s Day parade, but this time I hadn’t done the research as to when exactly it was happening and just chanced upon a notice at the Go Train entrance saying that it was today. So I dragged Vanessa and Carla with me over to the parade route and we stayed around for maybe half the parade. Luckily I had my favourite zoom lens with me and for once I got on the side of the parade opposite to the sun. I managed to shoot many pics, and here are some of my favourites:

Warrior's Day Parade #03 (Toronto Police)

Warrior’s Day Parade #03 (Toronto Police)

I understand from a comment from a previous year’s parade that this lady is a heroine of the Dutch resistance movement during WWII.

Warrior's Day Parade #10

Warrior’s Day Parade #10

This smiling veteran was asking the crowd to smile and cheer and as you can see, he got his wish:

Warrior's Day Parade #16

Warrior’s Day Parade #16

The next pic is interesting: I found out after the fact that my Step-Father-in-Law was also attending the parade, and that his brother Alan Roy was in the parade. He told me that he helped ensure that Jim Eddy, a highly-decorated veteran in his 90s who apparently insisted on standing in the jeep he was riding to salute the parade masters stayed safe. I went through my pics and sure enough there’s Alan marching beside the jeep holding Mr. Eddy:

Warrior's Day Parade #21b - Alan Roy Beside WWII Veteran Jim Eddy

Warrior’s Day Parade #21b – Alan Roy Beside WWII Veteran Jim Eddy

A smiling and waving female veteran nurse in the back of WWII-vintage troop truck:

Warrior's Day Parade #24

Warrior’s Day Parade #24

A smiling American vet riding in a jeep:

Warrior's Day Parade #26

Warrior’s Day Parade #26

Two airborne regiment veterans greet each other briefly during the parade:

Warrior's Day Parade #33

Warrior’s Day Parade #33

Here’s a selection of the rest in gallery format:

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Warrior’s Day Parade 2011

Took the Go Train from Danforth station to Exhibition, and arrived at the C.N.E. grounds just as it opened at 10am.

My main reason for coming was to shoot pics of the Warrior’s Day Parade. I like taking pics at this event because, a) who doesn’t like a parade? b) the pomp and pageantry is fun, and c) I like capturing the moment where a personality is revealed under the uniform. Also, it is a kind of homage to my parents, both of whom did their part in WWII.

I saw a couple of old WWI-era planes circle the grounds prior to the show, and I wondered if there was going to be a fly-by to help celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the parade. The answer was no as it turned out, but they were still fun to see, though I didn’t have my 300mm lens which would have brought them into focus.

Instead I brought along my heavy-but-fast (f/2) 200mm lens, which was its first outing at a parade. Figure I would trade off getting the types of close-ups I could get with my f/4 300mm lens but which would likely be slightly blurry due to motion for being able to freeze the motion of the people going past. For the most part that seemed to be a good strategy, and in some pics it is even possible to read the names on individual’s name-tags in the pictures I came away with.

I think the most moving for me was this one:

C.N.E. Warrior's Day Parade #36

C.N.E. Warrior's Day Parade #36


Am guessing that this is the father or maybe older brother of the soldier in the photo who was killed in Afghanistan. [Postscript: I was right, the photo the man is carrying is of Joshua Baker, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010].

Here is a selection of some of the many pics I took:

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Warrior’s Day Parade at the C.N.E. 2010

Took the opportunity to head down to the Canadian National Exhibition in order to catch The Warrior’s Day Parade. Took my telephoto lens with me and tried to concentrate on taking pictures of the people in the parade, especially the older vets, who are often very expressive.

I didn’t take note this time as to which units appeared, but from what I understand from their website, the parade members follows this sequence:

Members from various regional Royal Canadian Legions
Public Service Veterans, Police War Veterans, Fire Fighters War Veterans Associations, Unattached Veterans – 1939-1945, Korea, Peace Keeping, United Nations Force
Dieppe Veterans, Regimental and Corps Associations, Hong Kong Veterans, Dunkirk Veterans, Burma Star Association, Royal Navy Association, Royal Marine Association, Merchant Navy Association, Canadian and British Airborne Forces Associations, Guards Division Association, Royal Canadian Naval Association
Allied and Visiting, and Re-enactor/Living History Contingents.

Last year I had a vantage point from almost the middle of the parade, and this year I took a vantage spot that wasn’t far from the official stands near the Princes’ Gates.

Here’s my single favourite pic, of a female vet beaming at the crowds as she is being driven in a lovely old green Bentley:

Warrior's Day Parade 29

Warrior's Day Parade 29

Here’s the rest:

Here’s the pics I shot at last year’s parade.

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Warrior’s Day Parade at the C.N.E. 2009

Went to the Canadian National Exhibition this morning, mainly to catch The Warrior’s Day Parade. There are several aspects of it that appeals to me: the chance for some interesting portraiture shots, the many different types of dress uniforms over different times and places and of course it is also a slice of history. It is also a way to honour the memories of my parents, both of whom played their part in WWII.

According to the Warrior’s Day Parade Web Site the order of the contingents in the parade are as follows:

  • Various Royal Canadian Legions
  • Public Service Veterans, Police War Veterans, Fire Fighters War Veterans Associations, Unattached Veterans – 1939-1945, Korea, Peace Keeping, United Nations Force
  • Dieppe Veterans, Regimental and Corps Associations, Hong Kong Veterans, Dunkirk Veterans, Burma Star Association, Royal Navy Association, Royal Marine Association, Merchant Navy Association, Canadian and British Airborne Forces Associations, Guards Division Association, Royal Canadian Naval Association
  • Allied and Visiting, and Re-enactor/Living History Contingents.
  • Though the skies initially threatened rain, it ended up being a nice day, and though the clouds never completely disappeared for the event, there was enough light to take good, crisp shots. Thanks to various transit snafus I didn’t make it for the start of the parade, but managed to find a good spot to take pictures from.

    All of the contingents of marchers were accompanied by a cadet carrying a three-number placard, identifying the group. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a listing online, so the only ones I can positively identify are those that had their own signs, either as a banner at the head of their contingent, or written across a drum.

    Here in parade order, are the pics:


Contingent 215. While not in this pic, both NATO and U.N. flags were in their contingent.

Pipers from contingent 228

Three standard bearers from contingent 147

Pipers from the Toronto Rameses Shriners Band

Standard Bearers from the Woodbine Heights branch of the Canadian Royal Legion

Two WWII veterans from the Highland Light Infantry of Canada and their driver
Accordionists from the contingent 138

More Royal Legion Veterans

Drum Major from contingent 122

Pipers from the same contingent. That can’t be good for your cheeks.
Close-up of a standard bearer

Veteran in a wheelchair

Veterans from the contingent after 183

Pipers from the Derry Flute Band

Veterans in a vintage M38 jeep

Standard bearers

An RAF veteran in a wheelchair

Drum Major and Pipers from contingent 121

By this point in the parade many of the vets who had been in earlier parts of the parade had started walking back, and I caught this fellow beside me giving a salute to those who passed.

The one moment I wished I had caught on my camera was a smile and a hand-shake an old WWII vet had given to a young boy from an Asian family who had paused to let a contingent pass. A nice moment.


Drum Major from contingent 105

Drum Major and pipers

WWII veterans from the Toronto Police contingent

The sole Mountie in the parade

Flutists from the Queen’s York Rangers of Toronto

Members from a Parachute Regiment, contingent 269

We’re definitely into the “Allied” portion of the parade now: these are trumpeters from the Polish contingent, #103

Flag bearers from a South Korean contingent

Trumpeter from a Guards unit

A WWII vet and sole participant from an Indian contingent, #240

WWII veterans

The sole (horse-)mounted soldier in the parade, from contingent 268

Veteran from contingent 264

U.N. contingent from Ghana

A couple of wheelchair-bound veterans from the Taiwanese contingent, #274

A few other members from that same contingent

A much be-medalled veteran

A very young Drum Major and piper from contingent 139 (not 266, which follows) of a Georgian-era re-enactment regiment

Members from another re-enactment group (#266), also in Georgian-era uniforms

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