The Ceremonial Guard performed its first Changing of the Guard ceremony for the 2019 season on Sunday, launching the 61 st season of the military tradition in Ottawa.
The first Guard Mount marks the start of the 2019 public duties season in which soldiers and musicians of the Ceremonial Guard take part in different celebrations including the annual Fortissimo military musical concert on Parliament Hill from 18 to 20 July 18-20, according to the Canadian Forces.
This year, for a brief period at the beginning of the summer, the Changing of the Guard Ceremony will also take place on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada.
The Canadian Forces points out there will be no Changing of the Guard Ceremony from June 25 to 27 due to preparations for the Canada day celebrations on Parliament Hill.
The Changing of the Guard Ceremony will take place on the grounds of Rideau Hall from June 28 to 30 and July 2 to 5. From July 6 – August 24 the ceremony will return to the lawns of Parliament Hill for the duration of the 2019 season, the military noted. The start time for the Changing of the Guard ceremony is at 10:00 a.m.
In addition to the Changing of the Guard ceremony, members of the Ceremonial Guard perform daily sentry duties at Rideau Hall, the official residence and workplace of the governor general of Canada.
The first Guard Mount took place 60 years ago, on Parliament Hill on July 2, 1959. It was carried out by the Regiment of Canadian Guards, a regular force regiment of the Canadian Forces. The Public Duties Detachment was later manned by the two Reserve Guards Regiments, the Governor General’s Foot Guards, from Ottawa and the Canadian Grenadier Guards, from Montreal, according to the Canadian Forces. Today the Ceremonial Guard is comprised of soldiers from units across Canada who adopt the customs and traditions of these two Guards Regiments.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
