OTTAWA — Governor General Mary Simon will not attend the National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa on Tuesday due to a respiratory virus. A statement from Rideau Hall confirmed that Simon, who serves as the commander-in-chief, is "doing well" and recovering in the hospital.

In her absence, Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner will represent her at the ceremony. He will be joined by Nancy Payne, this year’s National Silver Cross Mother from Lansdowne, Ontario. Payne honors all Canadian mothers who have lost a child in military service. Her son, Randy, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, will also attend the ceremony. The event, organized by the Royal Canadian Legion, typically begins around 10:45 a.m. with the arrival of dignitaries. It includes the national anthem, a two-minute moment of silence, a wreath-laying ceremony, and a fly-past, weather permitting.

Both Carney and Payne are expected to lay wreaths at the National War Memorial. At the conclusion of the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to remove their red poppies, a symbol of remembrance for those who have died in war, from their clothing and place them on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. By the end of the day, the tomb will be covered in poppies, honoring the sacrifices made by military personnel.