KITCHENER -- Remembrance Day 2020 looked a little bit different than years prior due to COVID-19, but ceremonies honouring those who serve and have served our country went ahead at local cenotaphs.

The crowds were smaller, but the key message to our veterans was the same: lest we forget.

Speakers around the region also acknowledged a different war that Canadians are facing against an invisible foe in COVID-19.

"We are not venturing out into a field of conflict equipped with weapons of war, yet our quarrel with the foe is just as real," said Rev. Canon Christopher Pratt during the ceremony.

"Our weapons are facemasks. We are armed with the self-discipline of social distancing and handwashing. Our foe is not clearly visible but our need to be mutually responsible and interdependent citizens of Canada, Ontario, and every part of the Region of Waterloo, is a requirement we cannot shy away from."

Here's a look at a collection of photos from ceremonies in and around Waterloo Region.

Kitchener cenotaph on Remembrance DayThe Kitchener cenotaph seen before the ceremony. (Leighanne Evans / CTV Kitchener)


Wreaths for Remembrance Day
Wreaths seen at the Preston cenotaph. (Jessica Smith / CTV Kitchener)

Preston cenotaph on Remembrance Day
The Preston cenotaph. (Jessica Smith / CTV Kitchener)

Waterloo cenotaph
The Waterloo cenotaph. (Dave Pettitt / CTV Kitchener)

Planes on a tarmac
The Waterloo Warbirds gear up for take-off ahead of their Remembrance Day honour flights. (Tegan Versolatto / CTV Kitchener)